BURIRAM: Maverick Vinales clocked the fastest lap in the first practice session of Thailand’s inaugural MotoGP on Friday, just ahead of Movistar Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi.
In the morning session at the Chang International Circuit, Vinales was quickest with 1min 31.220sec, outpacing seven-time world champion Rossi who timed 1:31.490.
With 130 championship points, Vinales is fifth in the standings going into Sunday’s race at the track in Buriram, a rural town in Thailand’s northeast.
Defending champion Marc Marquez, who has a comfortable 72-point lead over Andrea Dovizioso in the title race, clocked the fifth fastest time with 1:31.668.
Thailand is hosting the MotoGP for the first time, and riders have only tried out the track once before, with some voicing concerns over the hot conditions ahead of practice.
Vinales finished eighth overall in the February test in Buriram, a sleepy town several hours’ drive from the Thai capital Bangkok.
Hotels are booked solid in the town of 30,000, with tents available at campsites for fans with nowhere else to stay. -- AFP