Factory Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo just edged out team-mate Valentino Rossi for top spot in this afternoon's second MotoGP free practice session at Mugello, swapping fastest lap after fastest lap.
But it was bad news for Marc Marquez who escaped injury in a big crash into San Donato when his bike ran onto the grass on the straight and he went down, fortunately with the RC213V in between him and the concrete wall. He was carried into the gravel trap at more than 120mph but was deemed to have no serious injury after a check-up at the medical centre.
Lorenzo, meanwhile, finished only 0.034s ahead of Rossi after The Doctor had led for a majority of the period. The Italian was first under the 1'49s barrier with a 1'48.791 with Lorenzo right behind him and Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow in third place.
Rossi then upped his game with a 1'48.737 before, with five minutes left, Lorenzo was back in front on a 1'48.704. He then went quicker and quicker to post a 1'48.512 but Rossi was having none of it, lapping in 1'48.409 to go quickest again.
As always, though, Lorenzo doesn't know when to lie down, banging in a 1'48.375 with his last lap to top the sheets. The pair both used the softer of the rear Bridgestones but Rossi used the harder front while Lorenzo set his laps using the softer option.
Crutchlow, meanwhile, went about his business and stayed in third place on a 1'48.672 to complete a Yamaha clean sweep while Nicky Hayden was the first non-Yamaha in fourth place, setting a 1'49.377 on the Ducati but he is a second slower than Lorenzo.
Marquez' team-mate Dani Pedrosa, who is testing a different air intake today, struggled to fifth place and 1.008s off the pace with Andrea Iannone in sixth, the Italian getting a tow from Rossi to bag his 1'49.467.
Andrea Dovizioso recovered from a crash this morning, for which he had a neck X-ray, to finish in seventh place with Stefan Bradl, Randy De Puniet and Michele Pirro, who laps Mugello for a living, in tenth place.
Britain's Bradley Smith was also taken to the medical centre for a scan on his arm after a big highside on the exit of Casanova/Savelli - the place where Rossi broke his leg in 2009. Michael Laverty finished in 23rd after having another session to familiarise himself with the Italian circuit.
