Avintia Ducati’s Hector Barbera topped a soaking wet second MotoGP free practice at the Sachsenring, nicking the lead from reigning champion Marc Marquez with his final lap as the track began to dry with Dani Pedrosa in third place while the works Yamahas were way off the pace.
Marquez had dominated the session and had led for most of the period with Danilo Petrucci, Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Dovizioso able to match his pace. Barbera first took charge seven minutes to go, putting in a 1’29.046 but he was soon deposed by Espargaro’s Aprilia.
Dovizioso took charge just a lap later with a 1’28.753 with Marquez returning to the lead seconds later. The Repsol Honda man then dropped his time to a 1’28.363, then a 1’28.178 but it was Barbera who had the final say, taking the chequered flag with a 1’28.115 on his 26th lap.
Pedrosa struggled in the rain at Assen but has found some grip to occupy third place three-tenths slower than his team-mate while Petrucci ended in fourth place, one ahead of Espargaro. Team-mate Sam Lowes put in another outstanding wet weather performance, taking ninth place and is less than nine-tenths off the pace.
Fellow Brit Cal Crutchlow finished with a 1’28.616 on his last lap and that was enough to depose Dovizioso down to sixth place. Jonas Folger put his Monster Yamaha in eighth with Lowes just behind. Jorge Lorenzo completed the top ten and is nine-tenths off the pace.
Alvaro Bautista took his Ducati GP16 to 11th place, one ahead of Pol Espargaro’s KTM with Loris Baz, on the second Avinta GP15, in 13th. KTM test rider Mika Kallio is 14th with title challenger Valentino Rossi - who is using his unfavoured chassis - in 15th place. Team-mate Maverick Vinales was 20th, one ahead of Scott Redding, usually first clas in the rain.
Johann Zarco was the session’s only crasher, going down on a closed throttle at turn four early on.
