Image: Supplied.

Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo made it a 1-2 for the Ducati Team on day one at Misano, San Marino, with the two split by just 0.160s at the top.

Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completed the top five despite leading the way for much of the afternoon, but the number 93 was consistent and the race could well be a battle between the two factions.

The dash to make it into the top 10 almost made for the headline that never was, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a last push away from finding himself outside the top 10 by the close of action on Friday. He left it late to lunge up to P8 in a tense race against time, but the rain held off and the local hero made it through.

Dovizioso and Lorenzo’s closest challenger on the time-sheets was Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), who also ended Friday as top Honda and top Independent Team rider. He was a tiny margin behind Lorenzo, just 0.027s, but the gap behind him was an even more incredible 0.026s as Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took P4 to edge Marquez.

Marquez was just over a tenth behind his compatriot, but he did have 0.185s back to Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) in sixth and his rhythm looked impressive. Behind ‘Petrux’ was Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in seventh, with Rossi ultimately taking eighth late in the day.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completed a top 10 rife with home riders, although the day came to a more difficult end for Iannone. Crashing out right near the conclusion of FP2, the Italian was the only man in the top 10 by virtue of his FP1 time.

Former winner at the venue Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was one key name just pushed out, along with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) in 15th. Miller was a two-time crasher on day one and will be hoping for good weather on Saturday.

Despite a crash at the end of FP2, Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) sits top of the combined practice time-sheets in Moto2, his quickest time of a 1m37.763s in FP2 enough to beat championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) by 0.092s and Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team). Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) was P15.

Championship contender Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) ended the opening day of Moto3 practice on top of the time-sheets, going 0.092s faster than points leader Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) and Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing).

Detailed results