Maverick Vinales is back on top, the Spaniard made an early declaration at TT Assen to be the fastest in FP1 and FP2 when Top Gun shot first on Friday.
Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was second fastest, 0.111 back, while Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) kept his momentum in third place on Day 1 of the second half of the 2nd RP.
Another headline grabber was a big hit for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) that afternoon, despite the Spaniard getting away unharmed and going back into the pits.
FP1
Vinales led the FP1 convincingly and consistently, just ahead of Pol Espargaro, who also impressed in the opening session of the weekend. The two were a tenth apart, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) moving up late to third, but the Suzuki man was 0.429 off the top.
Kidney degraded Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in fourth place, 0.561 ahead of Viñales, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) in fifth place.
The Frenchman was eight tenths off the lead and was the first in a crowd of tightly packed riders, with Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Marc Marquez ( Repsol Honda Team) and an impressive Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) complete the top ten with a few tenths.
The only crash was Garrett Gerloff (Petronas Yamaha SRT) when he did his first full weekend in. begins MotoGP™, the Texan falls on Turn 7.
FP2
Vinales was again the fastest man on the track, a tenth ahead of Oliveira before a downpour hit the TT Circuit Assen.
That left Quartararo third in the session and Marc Marquez fourth before the aforementioned highside crashed number 93 behind reigning champion Joan Mir. I completed the top 5 ahead of Zarco, Rins, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Aleix Espargaro and Pol Espargaro.
Rins was 0.252 behind Zarco, but from Suzuki at number 42 down to Danilo Petrucci at number 11 it was less than two-tenths of a second in another tight field.
When the rain set in, there was a lull on the track for a while, but when it was completely wet many headed out again for a taste, with the sun not guaranteed for the remainder of the weekend.
Combined timesheets
Vinales and Pol Espargaro remain the fastest duo as their FP1 times could not be surpassed. His 1: 33,400 was 0.091 better than Quartararo, who improved in the afternoon but stayed fourth. Rins’ best FP1 puts the Suzuki driver in fifth place.
Before his highside, Marc Marquez was sixth overall ahead of Mir, with Zarco also improving in FP2, but the runner-up in the overall standings was only 8th on day 1.
Petrucci is in ninth place ahead of Aleix Espargaro, who completes the top ten, both of whom were faster in FP1. So does Nakagami and he is the first man who will currently miss an automatic place in Q2, on Friday in P11 in front of Miller, Savadori, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing).
Will the rain return on Saturday morning? Or can the field in FP3 expect a little more time on the dry track to make it into the all-important top ten? Find out from 9:55 a.m. (GMT +2) before qualifying for the premier class from 2:10 p.m.
MotoGP Top 5 on Friday:
1 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP -Yamaha- 1: 33.072
2 Pol Espargaro – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – +0.111
3 Miguel Oliveira – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – +0.328
4th Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP -Yamaha- +0.419
5 Alex kidneys – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.429
Top independent team driver
8th Johann Zarco – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.636