Image: Supplied.

After two weekends ruled by one man, the time-sheets have had a shake up once again at the Motul TT Assen, with Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) taking to the top late in FP2 to go fastest on Friday.

Vinales was 0.121s ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar). After reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went quickest in FP1, it was all change in the afternoon as the number 93 was eighth fastest.

The two men who fought for the 2017 win dueled it out for third, with Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) just 0.015 ahead of Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) by the end of action. ‘Petrux’ was also top Independent Team rider on his Ducati, with fastest Honda and fellow Independent Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) locking out the top five.

After the swing of momentum of late in the Ducati Team, Andrea Dovizioso will be happy to have edged out teammate Jorge Lorenzo on the combined times, with ‘DesmoDovi’ taking P6 and Lorenzo just behind in seventh despite a rare crash for the ‘Spartan’ sustained in FP1.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was back on song on Friday at the Dutch GP after a more difficult home race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, making it two Hamamatsu factory machines on for provisional Q2 graduation as the Spaniard took ninth, only 0.006s off Marquez.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who crashed in the afternoon, locked out the top 10 as the Frenchman continues his search for his earlier season momentum. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was P4 in FP1 before only going thousandths faster in the afternoon. He ended the day in P16.

Francesco Bagnaia’s (Sky Racing Team VR46) Motul TT Assen got off to the perfect start as the Moto2 championship leader topped both FP1 and FP2 on Friday, with Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) second on the combined time-sheets and Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) third on the opening day at Assen. Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) was P21.

Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was the quickest rider in Moto3 FP2 at the Motul TT Assen to top the combined times on the opening day. The Spaniard leads compatriot Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) overall, but FP1’s pace-setter suffered a heavy crash at the end of FP2 and needed to be stretchered off.

On his final run, Canet set a flurry of quick times to confirm his speed at Assen, a venue he was victorious at last season. Thankfully, Martin was declared fit after a checkup in the medical centre and will be ready to battle on Saturday. Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) was third fastest overall.

Detailed results