Dovizioso edges Marquez in FP1 as MotoGP summer break ends
Full Czech Republic MotoGP FP1 results from Brno
Andrea Dovizioso has topped the opening practice session ahead of Marc Marquez at the Czech Republic MotoGP which signals the end of the summer break.
Full Czech Republic MotoGP FP1 results from Brno
Andrea Dovizioso has topped the opening practice session ahead of Marc Marquez at the Czech Republic MotoGP which signals the end of the summer break.
Long-time FP1 leader Marquez was displaced from top spot late on by Ducati’s Dovizioso with a 1m 56.919s as the MotoGP grid got back up to speed after three weeks off in the mid-season break.
Marquez held on to second place for Repsol Honda rider with Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales slotting into third place following a couple of competitive corners battling against the MotoGP world championship leader in FP1.
Tech3 KTM’s Miguel Oliveria caught the eye by bolting up to fourth place late on, one of the few riders to use a new soft rear tyre at the end of FP1, to close up to 0.099s off pace-setter Dovizioso.
Suzuki wildcard and test rider Sylvain Guintoli was another to profit from using new soft front and rear tyres to take fifth place by the end of the session, albeit over three-tenths of a second off the top four.
Jack Miller slotted into sixth place for Pramac Ducati keeping ahead of an impressive FP1 from Hafizh Syahrin, who is hunting a ride for 2020 after losing his Tech3 place to Brad Binder for next season.
Franco Morbidelli grabbed eighth place for Petronas Yamaha in front of Alex Rins on the Suzuki with Valentino Rossi holding on to the final top 10 spot for Movistar Yamaha by just 0.007s from Red Bull KTM’s Pol Espargaro.
Francesco Bagnaia ended the opening practice session in the gravel after crashing at Turn 13 but held on to 12th place on the times for Pramac Ducati ahead of Danilo Petrucci on the factory Ducati bike.
Tito Rabat, fresh from signing a new two-year deal at Avintia, surged up to 14th late on to push LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow to 15th and Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia in 16th.
It was tougher session for Takaaki Nakagami in 17th for LCR Honda and Fabio Quartararo for Petronas Yamaha in 18th, having almost tangled with Andrea Iannone midway through the session, with Karel Abraham (Avintia Ducati) and Iannone rounding out the top 20.
