Fabio Quartararo led the way in the opening practice session for the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano in commanding style ahead of Ducati’s Jack Miller and Michele Pirro.
The Yamaha rider was one of several pilots to take control of the test throughout the 45 minutes, the Frenchman utilising only one set of medium compound rubber for the duration of FP1 as he looked to tune up his M1 for Sunday’s race.
Having posted three laps good enough for the top spot in the middling stages before being shuffled back by Pirro and Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, Quartararo then banged in another couple of flyers at the death to ultimately secure opening session honours with a 1:32.313s.
This left the reigning series champion 0.224s clear of Millerin the end, with Ducati test rider Pirro slotting into third just under four-tenths-of-a-second adrift.
Aleix Espargaro ended up fourth quickest on the second Aprilia just ahead of team-mate Vinales, while Francesco Baganaia was sixth on his factory Ducati entry.
Newly-signed Ducati factory rider Enea Bastianini was seventh on his Gresini-run Desmosedici ahead of Suzuki’s Alex Rins, while VR46’s Luca Marini and Pramac Racing’s Johann Zarco completed the top ten.
Pol Espargaro was Honda’s highest-classified rider in 11th just under eight-tenths away from Quartararo’s benchmark, with Brad Binder the quickest KTM in 12th overall just behind the Spaniard.
Andrea Dovizioso was down in 16th in what is set to be his final FP1 session in MotoGP, the RNF Yamaha man just behind LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami, Marquez the final man within a second of Quartararo.
Joan Mir’s Suzuki replacement Kazuki Watanabe is facing a stern challenge this weekend having never tested the GSX-RR prior to hitting the track this morning, the Japanese pilot putting in a total of 23 laps en-route to 25th and last in the standings, 4.9 seconds down from the leading Yamaha and 2.4 seconds away from 24th-placed Darryn Binder.
