Pramac Ducati’s Andrea Iannone topped the third MotoGP free practice session at Misano this morning, just edging out the works Desmosedici of Andrea Iannone in the first dry period at the Italian circuit this weekend.
Rain made a mess of yesterday’s sessions and it was down to the final 45 minutes to sort out who would automatically go through to qualifying two. The usual suspects made it in aside from Stefan Bradl, who finished in 11th, while Alvaro Bautista only just squeaked it with his last run.
Iannone pushed to the top of the pile with a 1’34.120 with only a minute left to run and that was enough to depose local boy Dovizioso by just 0.035s while Jorge Lorenzo’s Movistar Yamaha bagged third, a further tenth in arrears. Iannone was only two-tenths off Lorenzo’s outright lap record.
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez spent his time on used tyres and finished in fourth, 0.028s behind his countryman while Dani Pedrosa was one place further back. Valentino Rossi was sixth and only three-tenths off the pace with Aleix Espargaro the first of the Open class men in seventh.
Bradley Smith was in the top five early in the session but slipped back to eighth with Pol Espargaro and Gresini’s Bautista completing the automatic qualifying one men. Bradl and Yonny Hernandez were the fastest of the rest and they have half a second over Cal Crutchlow in 13th.
Scott Redding found almost a second after bolting in the soft tyre late in the session but it wasn’t quite enough to get into qualifying two. He was one place and a tenth ahead of Hiro Aoyama while Leon Camier managed an impressive 16th place in his first dry laps at Misano on the production Honda. He finished a little less than a second behind Redding and only 2.2 off the pace. Michael Laverty was 19th.
