Ducati's MotoGP title challenger Andrea Dovizioso has set the pace in today's opening practice at Jerez, toppling Marc Marquez from top spot by just 0.007s with Pol Espargaro in third only 0.036s further back.
Marquez had led the way right from pitlane opening, putting in an early 1'39.548 on soft Michelins all round which stayed there until he bettered it with a 1'39.275 with a medium front but it wasn't enough to secure bragging rights as Dovizoso stuck in a 1'39.268 using a medium front/soft rear combo.
KTM's Espargaro, who signed a new, two-year deal with the factory earlier in the week, is fastest in the fourth sector which carried him into the top three after a tow from Valentino Rossi. His time dislodged Danilo Petrucci, himself only a tenth off the pace, with Pramac Ducati team-mate Jack Miller in fifth.
Rossi ended 0.005s behind the young Australian with the Monster Yamaha of Johann Zarco next along. Britain's Cal Crutchlow had been as high as second early on matching exactly the pace of Marquez, but he couldn't improve and slipped to eighth.
Maverick Vinales will not be happy with ninth place but Scot Redding will be pleased tenth and three places ahead of team-mate Aleix Espargaro. Andrea Iannone and Mika Kallio, rumoured to be riding an iteration of the 2019 KTM, are sandwiched between the two.
Despite testing at Jerez earlier in the year, Dani Pedrosa ended down in 14th and was complaining much more about setup than his injured wrist. Jorge Lorenzo is struggling again, finishing in 15th place.
