Ducati and Aprilia dominate the top three on a damp Day 1, with the title contenders a little further back on Friday.

Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) ended a wet Day 1 at the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna at the summit thanks to a superb 1:41.305 in FP2, a lap time that saw the Australian enjoy a huge advantage of nearly a second over Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) by the time action came to a close. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) left it late to claim P3 on Friday, but the Spaniard is the only other rider to get within a second of Miller at Misano so far.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) ended the day in P8, but Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had an even tougher time of it as the Frenchman took P16 on the combined timesheets. Not the ideal start to a #MatchPoint weekend, but there is plenty, plenty left in the locker in Emilia-Romagna.

FP1
Zarco enjoyed a very successful opening session of the weekend as the premier class completed a rain-soaked Friday morning, the Frenchman fastest as he seeks to take home the top Independent Team rider crown this weekend. Second fastest was Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), but the eight-time World Champion was 1.4s down on Zarco’s 1:42.374. Miller was third, starting the weekend off well, as teammate Bagnaia initially did the opposite and crashed late on at Turn 8, rider ok.

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) still made it three Ducatis in the top four though, with Bagnaia shuffled down to P6 as Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) impressed as the quickest Yamaha in fifth. Championship leader Quartararo started the day finishing 18th.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) both crashed unhurt in the opening stages of the session, and Aprilia wildcard Lorenzo Savadori was another to tumble.

FP2
Rain in the morning and in the early afternoon meant the premier class got plenty of wet weather running under their belts on Friday, but the sun did creep through the clouds for most of FP2, allowing conditions – and therefore times – to improve. Miller was quick to demote FP1 pacesetter Zarco to P2 too, with the Aussie sitting over a second clear of anyone for a while and all but two riders improving by the mid-point of the afternoon stint.

With more rain forecast for Saturday morning as well, the conditions in FP2 – wet, but much better than FP1 – could be the best the riders face in the chase for an automatic place in Q2. And Quartararo was P12 with five minutes to go, with title rival Bagnaia looking more comfortable – after his crash in FP1 – in P5. But no improvements came from the Frenchman in the closing stages, meaning Quartararo was eventually shuffled down to P16 and Pecco – as things stand – would make his way into Q2 in P8.

Aleix Espargaro took P3 by the end of the session as he seeks to stop Zarco taking top Independent this weekend, ahead of an impressive KTM push just behind. The top ten after Friday is solely European manufacturers, with Ducati, Aprilia and KTM locking out provisional places in Q2…

Combined timesheets
Behind Miller, Zarco and Aleix Espargaro, that KTM push was led by Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) as the Spaniard impressed in the tricky conditions, as he’s done a few times of late. The Spaniard ends Friday in P4 on the combined standings after finishing FP1 in ninth, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 1.2 down on Miller but taking P5. The Portuguese rider also claimed top 10s in both sessions.

Rookie and home hero Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) very much impressed in P6as he prepares for his second premier class race at Misano, with another impressive performance on his tail too: Savadori. The Aprilia test rider and former full timer produced some familiar, classy wet weather prowess to pocket a P7 on Friday, fractionally ahead of Bagnaia in P8.

Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) added another dash of Austria to the top ten in ninth, with Martin (Pramac Racing) currently the final rider set to move through to Q2. Which means no Quartararo. Reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and San Marino GP podium man Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) also missed out, and by exactly the same 0.033 as they set identical best laptimes on Friday.

All eyes will be pointing towards the skies when the riders open their curtains ahead of FP3, with plenty of big names – including Quartararo, legend Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and COTA-winning Marc Marquez. Tune into a vital FP3 from the Emilia-Romagna GP at 09:55 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday morning to see if title leader Quartararo can claw his way into the top 10, before qualifying from 14:10!

MotoGP™ Friday top five:
1 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1’41.305
2 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.927
3 Aleix Espargaro* – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Yamaha – +0.986
4 Iker Lecuona* – Tech3 KTM Factory Racing – KTM – +1.271
5 Miguel Oliveira – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM- +1.286

*Independent Team rider

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