Dovizioso tops Day 1 test in Qatar

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took first blood as the third and final preseason test got underway at Losail International Circuit in Qatar, setting the fastest lap of the night and quicker than new teammate Jorge Lorenzo’s 2016 race lap record. Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) completed the top three.

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 Jorge Lorenzo, continued his steady progress of adaptation, ending an solid first day under the floodlights in P5 with a best of 1:55.616.

Maverick Vinales (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 1:55.179 was the 2013 Moto3â„¢ World Champion’s best lap, 0.360 off the number 04 at the front. 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 P7 with a 1:55.679.

Cal Crutchlow was the fastest Honda out the blocks, as the two-time GP winner put LCR Honda in P3 with a 1:55.420. The next Honda on the timesheets was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa in P8 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.

Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'54.819
2 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 0.360
3 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 0.601
4 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 0.794
5 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 0.797
6 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.821
7 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 0.860
8 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 0.873
9 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.886
10 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 0.932
11 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1.011
12 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1.080
13 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.097
14 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1.198
15 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1.266
16 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 1.297
17 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 1.374
18 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1.770
19 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.846
20 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 2.271
21 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 2.636
22 KALLIO Mika 36 FIN Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 3.220
23 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 3.936

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