Maverick Viñales claimed MotoGP FP1 honours at Mugello as preparations for the ItalianGP got underway, holding off Johann Zarco and a pair of Suzuki’s to top the opening practice in Tuscany.
Fresh from two wins on the bounce and a newly-signed contract delivering another year in factory colours, Ducati’s Jack Miller looked confident as he set out to prepare for the ItalianGP. With the Bologna squad also claiming victory in the last three races at its home track, there was a lot of pressure to continue the run of form but it was test-rider Michele Pirro - this weekend standing in for the still-injured Jorge Martin - who repeatedly topped the times in the opening minutes, 1’47.945 the time to beat after the first four laps.
Miguel Oliveira circulated half-a-second off the Italian before his teammate, Brad Binder, and the two Espargaro brothers bettered his time. Fabio Quartararo sliding into second on his fifth lap just 0.07s adrift of Pirro before his Yamaha teammate joined him to lock out the top-two positions.
Having spent the week becoming accustomed to life as a new father, after welcoming his daughter Nina on Monday, Maverick Viñales had his mind firmly back on the business at hand as the opening 15-minutes concluded, taking charge with a 1’47.443 before immediately setting out to better his time by over three-tenths with his eighth attempt.
Takaaki Nakagami held third at the halfway stage ahead of Pirro and Pecco Bagnaia with the KTM’s of Binder and Oliveira sitting either side of Pol Espargaro and the trio neatly ahead of his elder brother’s Aprilia and teammate Marc Marquez at the edge of the top-10.
Miller circulated in 11th ahead of fellow Ducati-man Johann Zarco as the mid-pack battle remained painfully tight - one-second separating fourth to 17th, with Valentino Rossi occupying the latter position.
With 18 minutes to go and the pace picked up once again. Zarco initially found the top-five before a pair of Suzuki’s demoted him, Joan Mir leading Alex Rins for fourth and fifth with just 0.05s splitting the two GSX-RR’s. Oliveira was the next to challenge as he pushed his way into third, six-tenths away from Viñales’ best time before Zarco struck back, this time finding second with a 1’47.537 and four-tenths adrift.
The Yamaha/Ducati battle continued at the top as Bagnaia joined the fight in fourth before the majority of the field hit the pits with 10-minutes left to play. Franky Morbidelli the first to strike as the action resumed by claiming second, 0.2 off Viñales, with Rins following suit for top-three honours before the Suzuki rider hit the top next time around.
Rins continued to push as he advanced his time yet again, setting a 1’46.952 in the final minute, Mir finding third just three-tenths back as Viñales looked to challenge. The Spaniard returned to the top with a 1’46.593 as the flag prepared to fly, Zarco also on a charge from fifth as he claimed second with his final effort from the Suzuki pairing. Morbidelli completed the morning in fifth from fellow academy graduate Bagnaia and Pirro with Quartararo, Miller and Oliveira completing the top-10.
Nakagami sat 11th from Pol and Aleix Espargaro, Binder and Luca Marini heading the formidable pairing of Marquez and Rossi with Danillo Petrucci, Alex Marquez, Lorenzo Savadori, Enea Bastianini and Iker Lecuona completing the standings.
