Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso has drawn first blood at his team’s home track, bagging top spot in the first MotoGP free practice session but he was chased hard by test rider Michele Pirro - who has done thousands of laps at Mugello - with Maverick Vinales in third.
Dovizioso put in a 1’47.394 on his 15th lap of 18 and is already under the lap record with Pirro just two tenths further back, both using Michelin’s softer-option tyres front and rear but Vinales used a medium rear for his 1’47.669 and didn’t change it, doing 18 laps on the same tyre and doing his fastest at the end of his first run.
Injured Movistar Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi managed 15 laps and ended in 15th place but looked very uncomfortable every time he got off the bike, clutching his chest in the garage.
Yamaha stablemate Johann Zarco put his Monster-backed M1 in fourth place, using a soft/soft combination to put in a 1’47.674 on his 17th lap and will more than likely use those compounds in Sunday’s race.
Hector Barbera hopped into fifth place with his final lap on the Avintia Ducati which pushed back Jorge Lorenzo to sixth place but the three-time champion is still only three-tenths off the pace despite have a mechanical issue in the session which saw him pushed back up pitlane by Milwaukee Aprilia WorldSBK teamsters Mick Shanley and Jake Walker.
Danilo Petrucci made it five Ducatis in the top ten, sitting in seventh on a 1’47.962 with Jonas Folger in eighth. Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez finished in ninth and 0.586s off the pace.
The Repsol Honda man and team-mate Dani Pedrosa spent time circulating together and getting tows from one another but it didn’t benefit the older man who finished in 13th, behind Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Iannone and Alvaro Bautista. Aleix Espargaro and Rossi complete the top 15.
Scott Redding finished in 16th and 1.349s off the pace with Sam Lowes in 22nd after an early electronic glitch.
4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team DUCATI 352.3 (220.18mph)
8 Hector BARBERA SPA Reale Avintia Racing DUCATI 351.4
51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ducati Team DUCATI 351.4
9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA OCTO Pramac Racing DUCATI 351.2
29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR SUZUKI 350.1
19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team DUCATI 348.0
45 Scott REDDING GBR OCTO Pramac Racing DUCATI 345.4
17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team DUCATI 345.1
53 Tito RABAT SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA 344.3
99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Ducati Team DUCATI 343.5
