Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso has topped the opening MotoGP free practice session at Mugello this morning setting a 1’47.893 to lead Jorge Lorenzo by 0.033s and Bologna team-mate Andrea Iannone a further 0.47s further back.

Dovizioso was on the harder compound in the allocation and only two tenths off the race lap record set by Marc Marquez last year. Lorenzo, using the same tyre, set a 1’47.926 on his 16th lap of 17 but he is some four miles per hour slower down the main straight. Dovizioso has the second quickest top speed of 214.7mph, just behind Hector Barbera on 216.1mph.

Iannone bounced into second place with two minutes left on a 1’47.940 to be immediately deposed to third by Lorenzo while Marc Marquez, who ran off track at turn one early doors, was fourth on a 1’48.028.

Pramac Ducati’s Yonny Hernandez got a perfect tow from Valentino Rossi to beat The Doctor into fifth place with a 1’48.304. Rossi was 0.021s behind the Columbian as Britain’s Scott Redding jumped into seventh with his last fast lap of the session.

The Estrella Galicia Marc VDS rider put in a 1’48.340 to lead Bradley Smith by 0.041s. Smith’s team-mate Pol Espargaro, who had an arm-pump operation after Le Mans, was ninth on a 1’48.390 as Cal Crutchlow completed the top ten six tenths off the pace.

Eugene Laverty ended in 20th on a 1’49.815. He hasn’t received the new swingarm as we reported the other day, wires were crossed but he will get it in the future. Team-mate Nicky Hayden has got it and finished in 16th place.

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