Source: Supplied.

Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) topped FP1 at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, and the Spaniard kept his throne in the afternoon to go quickest in a dry FP2 and head the combined time-sheets on day one.

The man on the chase was compatriot Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), who shot up into P2 in the afternoon in a strong showing on his race debut at the venue for Ducati. Rookie Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) impressed to lock out the top three.

Folger ended the day only 0.044s ahead of Mugello winner Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in fourth after bad weather in the morning saw rain ahead of track action leave the circuit in need of full wets, before FP1 was completed on slicks and the sun stayed out to give the field a fully dry FP2.

Behind the top four, Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) was another Italian keeping his momentum from his hometown heroics going, completing the fastest five on Friday ahead of Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in sixth.

Seventh was another home hero in the form of three-time world champion Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), with Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) eighth quickest on combined time-sheets and escaping unharmed from a slow crash in the final sector in FP2.

Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was ninth at the circuit on which he won last season – his most recent victory – as teammate and championship leader Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ended Friday in 16th. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was another high profile name further down the time-sheets, taking P19 after a crash in FP2.

Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the top 10 ahead of Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) and Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was P17.

Penalties were applied to Marquez, Pedrosa, Rabat, Viñales and Zarco for riding at racing speed in a section of the track under double yellow flags, specifically whilst passing a crashed motorcycle that was still on the track. They were penalised with the cancellation of the time of the lap during which the infraction occurred.

Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) topped Moto2 practice times on Friday, quickest in FP2 and overall after a late lap saw him head teammate and home hero Alex Marquez, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in third fastest on combined times. Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) was 24th.

In Moto3 it was Marinelli Rivacold Snipers rider Romano Fenati who was fastest on a wet track on Friday morning, but the Italian just lost out in the afternoon as Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) bounced back to go fastest by 0.287s, heading the combined time-sheets. Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) completed the top three.