Source: Supplied.

After Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso led the way in FP1 at the Twin Ring Motegi, skies remained perfectly blue above the Japanese track as the engines fired up once more for MotoGP.

In the end, it was Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) topping the timesheets from Dovizioso and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Maverick Viñales at the conclusion of Friday.

With the second practice session beginning calmly enough, a spate of crashes in the final minutes of FP2 saw drama wrap up the first day of action as first Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) slid off at turn 10, before teammate Dani Pedrosa suffered an unbelievable highside at turn 11.

That incident was quickly followed by another for Eugene Laverty (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) at turn six, with Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) heading off to complete the drama-fuelled session.

With attrition rates high, it was the reigning champion who emerged fastest from the day, as the 2009, 2013 and 2014 winner at the track took over at the top in the final shootout.

Laverty and Pedrosa were taken to the Medical Center for checks following the two incidents, with Pedrosa then diagnosed with a broken right collarbone.

The break marks another unlucky injury in the three-time world champion’s career, with Pedrosa beginning the 2016 season back to full strength following career-saving forearm surgery in 2015. Former 250 World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama will ride in place of the Spaniard for the Japanese GP.

Dovizioso had a solid first day as pre-race predictions came true – that Motegi looks good for the Ducati on paper. The Italian was also on pole position at the track in 2014 and seems to be a contender to take the honour once again in 2016.

Viñales had a messier morning session with some run offs, before pulling it all together in FP2 to top timesheets briefly ahead of ending the day in third on combined times.

Championship leader Marquez had one spectacular save on Friday as he pushed himself back upright on his knee, before the final minutes of FP2 saw the 2013 and 2014 MotoGP World Champion not quite repeat the feat and slide to a slow stop – rider and bike okay. His best chance of a clean run at a quick laptime gone, Marquez ended day one P4.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) had a good Friday in the land of the rising sun to complete the top five on combined times, with Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in incredibly close company in P6 and P7 – the three men separated by only three hundredths.

Danilo Petrucci was eighth quickest in an impressive opening day for the Octo Pramac Yakhnich rider, with Dani Pedrosa ending up in ninth. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Pol Espargaro was tenth quickest on the opening day, back on track in Japan for the first time since a win in the Suzuka 8 Hours.

Of the Australians, Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller was 18th at the end of today’s running, while Mike Jones made his first laps for Avintia Racing Ducati, winding up 22nd and within the qualifying cut-off.

Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) was quickest on Friday’s combined times in Moto2, moving up from fourth in the morning to take control by the end of the day over local hero Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS). Remy Gardner (Tasca Racing Scuderia) was 21st.

Day one was punctuated by crashes for all classes and Moto2 was no exception. The second session of the day saw a big incident for title contender Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP40) that meant the Spaniard sat out the rest of the day – with Saturday now pivotal as he trails title rival Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) by only one point.

Zarco looked to end Friday in P4, before another key rival Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) just pipped the Frenchman to the post to push him down to fifth.

Rins will be checked at the medical center following his crash, with FP3 on Saturday morning hoping to see the title contender back out on track.

With near-perfect conditions, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) took the top spot in Moto3, crossing the line late to take the lead from home hero Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) and RW Racing GP BV rider Livio Loi.