Takaaki Nakagami led the way in the opening practice session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Mugello with an impressive late effort on used medium tyres.
The LCR Honda rider graced the front of the order throughout the 45-minute test, for a while sitting just fractions behind joint leaders Aleix Espargaro and Francesco Bagnaia, before the Japanese ace fired in a time just 0.030s faster than the pair to go top.
Not content to leave it there, Nakagami then posted a strong 1:46.662s tour in the final minutes to extend his leading advantage to over four-tenths-of-a-second, his time all the more interesting as it was set on used medium rubber.
Aprilia’s Espargaro in the end was credited with second ahead of Bagnaia, while Suzuki’s Alex Rins and Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini completed the top five.
Maverick Vinales ended a striong session for Aprilia in sixth overall ahead of the sister factory Ducati of Jack Miller, with Honda’s Pol Espargaro bagging the eighth-best time.
Johann Zarco was ninth on his newly-painted Pramac Ducati – the team having announced a title sponsorship deal with Italian insurance company Prima, bringing a dash of purple to Pramac’s traditional white and red scheme – while Luca Marini rounded out the top ten on his VR46-run Ducati.
Series leader Fabio Quartararo was 11th as he ran Yamaha’s new aero solution for the first time, the Japanese manufacturer looking to find a little more staright-line pace down Mugello’s huge main stretch.
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro clocked the 12th best time in his first start of 2022, while 2020 MotoGP world champion Joan Mir was 15th on the other Suzuki GSX-RR.
KTM once again occupied the lower reaches of the standings, Brad Binder the highest-classified RC16 in 17th just ahead of team-mate Miguel Oliviera, who survived a scary run through the grass on the run to Turn 1 early on after seemingly getting caught out by the aerowash effect of Espargaro’s Aprilia.
Marc Marquez was 19th in the end on his factory-run Honda, with Andrea Dovizioso 21st overall on the first of the RNF Yamaha’s ahead of Lorenzo Savadori, who ran a peculiar rear wing on the rear of his Aprilia as the brand looks to try and improve rear downforce in a bid to settle the RS-GP over the hump on the run to Turn 1.
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