Aragon GP: first day of free practices affected by the cold weather. Dovizioso closes thirteenth at the end of the first two sessions. Petrucci ends with the fifteenth time overall

• Low temperatures and strong winds made difficult the first day of free practices of the MotoGP Aragón Grand Prix held this weekend at MotorLand Aragón. 

The first two free practices sessions of the Aragon GP, scheduled this weekend at MotorLand Aragon in Alcañiz, were affected by low temperatures and cold wind, forcing the Race Direction to delay the start of FP1 this morning, to allow the asphalt to reach at least 12 degrees before welcoming the MotoGP riders on the track.

In FP1, characterized by several crashes, Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci took to the track without pushing, leaving to the afternoon session their search for the best lap times. In FP2, with the temperatures of the tarmac reaching the 23 degrees, the Ducati Team riders were finally able to ride with the same conditions that they will find on Sunday in the race.

Seventeenth at the end of FP1, Andrea was able to improve his morning lap time by more than 2 seconds in the afternoon session, closing the day with the thirteenth time overall in 1:49.015. Danilo finished 15th with a time of 1:49.107, just a few thousandths of a second from his teammate.

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1:49.015 (13th)
"It was a pretty difficult day because of the cold weather and the strong wind. With our bikes, we struggle a bit to warm up the tires with these cold temperatures. This morning we weren't able to do much during the first session, while in the afternoon, we started our work ahead of Sunday's race. Tomorrow the wind should calm down, and so we hope to be able to make good use of the time available to make further steps forward."

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1:49.107 (15th)
"The conditions today were particularly difficult due to the low temperatures and the wind. The feeling with the bike is good, but we still have to find the right setup for this weekend. Temperatures should be similar tomorrow, but the wind should stop, and that could help us. We don't have much time, but all in all, we are close to the firsts, so I am confident that we can improve on tomorrow."

The Ducati Team riders will return to the track tomorrow at 10:25 AM local time (GMT +2.00) for the decisive session of FP3, while qualifying will be held according to the usual schedule, starting from 2:10 PM local time, after FP4.