Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Vinales set the pace by half a second in the opening practice session for the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.
As MotoGP returned to track action after a two-weekend break, KTM rider Pol Espargaro took the early lead in the 45-minute session, only to be soon surpassed by Vinales.
Petronas SRT Yamaha’s championship leader Fabio Quartararo went four hundredths quicker than Vinales to make it a Yamaha 1-2 at the halfway point of the session, and his benchmark went unchallenged until the Frenchman himself went two tenths quicker with a 1m33.215s having gone out with a fresh medium rear in the final minutes.
Quartararo followed that lap up with an even quicker 1m33.089s, but was beaten to the 1m32s range by Vinales – who produced a 1m32.760s on a fresh hard rear tyre.
Yet Vinales would save the best for last, firing in a ludicrous 1m32.198s after the chequered flag to put himself more than half a second clear of Quartararo, despite the latter improving late on as well.
Aleix Espargaro was in third for Aprilia, having followed Vinales on his fastest lap, while Johann Zarco (Avintia Ducati) was the final rider within a second of Vinales in fourth.
Bradley Smith took fifth in the second RS-GP, wrapping up a superb session for Aprilia, ahead of Joan Mir (Suzuki), Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).
Crutchlow’s team-mate Takaaki Nakagami made up the top 10, the pair split by Pol Espargaro – who only improved by half a tenth on the time that had put him top in the early stages of the session.
Vinales’ team-mate Valentino Rossi had a time good enough for eighth chalked off for track limits and had to settle for 11th, ahead of the fourth and final Yamaha of Petronas rider Franco Morbidelli.
Quartararo’s closest championship rival Andrea Dovizioso led the way for the works Ducati squad but was only 14th, his session disrupted by a reported electronics problem with one of his bikes.
Tech3 KTM rider Miguel Oliveira, who had taken his maiden win last time out at the Red Bull Ring, was 22nd and last, 2.4s off the pace.
Practice 1 Results
| Pos | Name | Team | Bike | Gap Next | Gap Leader | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | 1m32.198s | ||
| 2 | Fabio Quartararo | Petronas Yamaha SRT | Yamaha | +0.55s | +0.55s | 1m32.748s |
| 3 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | +0.201s | +0.751s | 1m32.949s |
| 4 | Johann Zarco | Avintia Racing | Ducati | +0.232s | +0.983s | 1m33.181s |
| 5 | Bradley Smith | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | +0.063s | +1.046s | 1m33.244s |
| 6 | Joan Mir | Team Suzuki MotoGP | Suzuki | +0.253s | +1.299s | 1m33.497s |
| 7 | Jack Miller | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.005s | +1.304s | 1m33.502s |
| 8 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | Honda | +0.036s | +1.34s | 1m33.538s |
| 9 | Pol Espargaró | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.031s | +1.371s | 1m33.569s |
| 10 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda | Honda | +0.085s | +1.456s | 1m33.654s |
| 11 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | +0.039s | +1.495s | 1m33.693s |
| 12 | Franco Morbidelli | Petronas Yamaha SRT | Yamaha | +0.001s | +1.496s | 1m33.694s |
| 13 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.134s | +1.63s | 1m33.828s |
| 14 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati Team | Ducati | +0.04s | +1.67s | 1m33.868s |
| 15 | Alex Marquez | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.053s | +1.723s | 1m33.921s |
| 16 | Alex Rins | Team Suzuki MotoGP | Suzuki | +0.119s | +1.842s | 1m34.04s |
| 17 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati Team | Ducati | +0.061s | +1.903s | 1m34.101s |
| 18 | Francesco Bagnaia | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.053s | +1.956s | 1m34.154s |
| 19 | Stefan Bradl | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.169s | +2.125s | 1m34.323s |
| 20 | Iker Lecuona | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM | +0.23s | +2.355s | 1m34.553s |
| 21 | Tito Rabat | Avintia Racing | Ducati | +0.066s | +2.421s | 1m34.619s |
| 22 | Miguel Oliveira | Red Bull KTM Tech 3 | KTM | +0.026s | +2.447s | 1m34.645s |
