Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso has drawn first blood in the opening MotoGP practice at Misano this morning, leading Britain’s Cal Crutchlow by a tenth of a second at the top of the timesheets.

Local boy Dovizioso set a 1’32.608 using soft Michelins all round as forecast inclement weather this afternoon prompted an early time attack to bank a qualifying two lap. Crutchlow, using a medium/soft combination, set a 1’32.709 with Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales in third and a further 0.030s in arrears.

However, it was bad news for the Spaniard’s team-mate Valentino Rossi and fierce rival Marc Marquez who both finished outside the top ten. Marquez put in his customary race simulation on a medium rear, finishing in 13th and eight-tenths off.

Rossi also elected not to switch to a soft rear and he ended two places further back. The pair will not be happy if rain turns up this afternoon and in the morning at the seaside track.

Jorge Lorenzo finished in fourth and two-tenths behind his factory Ducati team-mate using the same combination of tyres while Andrea Iannone, always fast in free practice, used a soft rear to bag fifth place.

Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller had pace on hard and soft rears, setting a 1’33.193 to take sixth on the sheet with a late charge from Dani Pedrosa putting him in seventh on the Repsol Honda. Johann Zarco was also a late entrant into the top ten in eighth with Danilo Petrucci and Franco Morbidelli next along.

Aprilia’s Scott Redding was fast early doors soft/hard combo and then finished up in 11th, some 1.2s faster than team-mate Aleix Espargaro. Alvaro Bautista separated Redding and Marquez, while Alex Rins ended just in front of Rossi who completed the top 15.

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