Sterilgarda Husqvarna’s John McPhee staked his claim on a Q2 place at Assen on Friday with the 11th fastest time in Moto3’s FP2.

Hit with two wet sessions on the opening day at the Dutch track, McPhee’s rain dance saw him running third in the morning practice with a 1’52.775 lap, less then four-tenths from pace-setter David Muñoz.

While the rain had stopped for the afternoon action, a heavy downpour across the lunch break left the track sodden as the riders left pitlane with the conditions improving steadily as the session played out. Despite experiencing his first taste of the Husqvarna in the wet, the Scot improved his pace at similar rate, to complete the day in contention for Q2 with a 1’50.386 best.

“I enjoyed myself a lot today,” McPhee said from Assen. “It is the first time for me on the Husqvarna in rain conditions because in the past races when it has been raining was when I had my time off with my injury, so I was a little bit curious to see how I would be in the rain.

“Honestly, the feeling was really good from the beginning, we did not need to change too much. Lap by lap I came faster and more confident.

"We finished FP1 in the top three, while FP2 was more wet and we were P2 until the last ten minutes. In the end the track came dry really fast and I had a lot more to offer but I exited the box a little bit too late so we were not able to be further up the timesheets at the end.

“Overall the feeling was good so this is the most important thing for free practice. We are excited for tomorrow in all conditions.”