Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati in action during the first day of the final MotoGP pre-season test at Losail on Friday.
Andrea Dovizioso put Ducati on top of the timesheets during the first day of the final MotoGP pre-season test at Losail on Friday.
The Italian bounced back from a difficult Phillip Island test to hold off Maverick Vinales - who has been fastest overall at all previous tests since joining Yamaha - by 0.360s.
Cal Crutchlow of Honda completed the top three.
Dovizioso was the only man to get under the 1m55s mark and he ended up by setting the quickest time of the day in 1’54.819 on his 26th lap.
Team-mate Jorge Lorenzo also put in a positive performance, with the Spanish rider completing a total of 45 laps and setting a best time of 1’55.616 on lap 27.
There were a number of high profile crashers – including reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – and a Red Flag late in the session following a number of falls in succession at Turn 2.
At the front was ‘DesmoDovi’, who has been on the podium at Losail for the last two years and set a best lap of 1:54.819 to get under the race lap record of 1:54.927.
The Italian put in 36 laps as work continues on the Desmosedici GP17, with no big visible aero updates for the Borgo Panigale factory in Qatar - yet.
Dovizioso’s teammate, five-time World Champion Lorenzo, continued his steady progress of adaptation, ending an solid first day under the floodlights in fifth position with a best of 1:55.616.
Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had another impressive day in the office at Losail, as the fastest man in preseason so far ended Day 1 in second. A timing of 1:55.179 was the 2013 Moto3 World Champion’s best lap.
Teammate and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, who left Phillip Island outside the top ten on combined times, had an improved position after the first day in the desert - finishing up seventh with a timing of 1:55.679.
Crutchlow was the fastest Honda out of the blocks, as the two-time GP winner put LCR Honda in third position with a 1:55.420.
The next Honda on the timesheets was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa in position eight on a 1:55.692 – with reigning Champion Marquez in P12 on Day 1 with a 1:55.899.
Marquez crashed twice on the first day, including a fall when first trying a new “aero-fairing” for his Repsol Honda machine.
The superstar of the first day was Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), who took a stunning fourth place with a 1:55.613. The Czech rider is returning from WorldSBK and got up to speed quickly on his Desmosedici GP15 in Qatar.
Jonas Folger was again the fastest rookie, as in Phillip Island, and the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider lined up just behind Lorenzo on the timesheets in sixth place, with a best of 1:55.640.
French fellow rookie teammate Johann Zarco ended Day 1 in ninth place in another impressive performance from both.
‘Maniac’ Andrea Iannone completed the top ten despite crashing; a 1:55.751 after 41 laps putting the Italian just ahead of compatriot Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) in place eleven.
Behind Marquez in twelfth, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) and Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing) completed the top fifteen.
Action continues at Losail International Circuit, with two official days of testing now left until the lights go out for the opening race of the season at the same venue on March 26.
