Dovizioso dominates first two sessions at San Marino

PARIS: Local rider Andrea Dovizioso recorded the fastest times in both Friday’s free practice sessions for the San Marino MotoGP.

In the morning, the Ducati man, who was born 60 kilometres up the road from the Misano track, was quickest in 1min 32.608 sec, 0.101 ahead of Briton Cal Crutchlow on an LCR Honda.

In the second session, the Italian was even quicker, completing his best lap in 1:32.198, 0.160 better than his Ducati team-mate Jorge Lorenzo with Crutchlow third at 0.187.Dovizoso is fourth in the overall standings, one point behind Spaniard Lorenzo but 72 behind the runaway leader, Marc Marquez of Honda, who was fifth fastest at 0.339. Another Spaniard, Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) was fourth at 0.213.

The other Yamaha rider, Valentino Rossi is second in the 2018 riders’ title battle but suffering through a miserable run of results and was only 15th in the first session. The Italian, running in what he regards as his home race, improved to eighth in the second run, 0.588 slower than Dovizioso.

Two more free practice sessions are scheduled for Saturday, followed by two qualifying sessions as MotoGP tries to rediscover its rhythm after the race at Silverstone in England were washed out last month. The sun is forecast to shine for most of the day.

In Moto2, Germany’s Marcel Schroetter (Kalex) set the fastest time, 1:37.763, ahead of two Italians. The championship leader Bagnaia (Kalex) was just 0.092sec back and Mattia Pasini (Kalex), was at 0.112.In Moto3, Spaniard Jorge Martin (Honda), who is second in the standings, was fastest, 0.203 ahead of the championship leader Italian Marco Bezzecchi (KTM).