MotoGP’s return to Silverstone comes several weeks earlier than its traditional August bank holiday weekend slot, with sunny-but-windy conditions greeting the field.
Pramac Ducati rider Johann Zarco set the early pace in the first MotoGP track action for five weeks following the summer break, the Frenchman going top with a 2m03.905s.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo soon deposed his countryman with a 2m03.631s as he comes into this weekend’s British GP carrying a long lap penalty following his collision with chief title rival Aleix Espargaro last time out at Assen.
Fuming at the penalty, Quartararo practiced the long lap lane situated at the Loop left-hander moments after he’d gone top of the time sheets.
But his session was interrupted 10 minutes in when his Yamaha cut out as he exited the Loop onto the Brooklands straight.
Quartararo was helped back into pitlane by Ducati’s Jack Miller, while the sister factory Ducati of an under-fired Francesco Bagnaia crashed going through the fast Maggotts section at Turn 4.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Bagnaia comes to Silverstone off the back of a drink-driving incident in Ibiza at the start of July, which he said on Thursday has not hindered his preparations for the second half of the season.
Quartararo returned to the track on the same bike that stopped, albeit with a new fuel tank fitted.
With just over 30 minutes to go, 2019 Silverstone winner Alex Rins went top on his Suzuki with a 2m00.961s, before 2016 British GP winner Maverick Vinales took over on his Aprilia with a 2m00.827s.
Rins made further improvements with 20 minutes to go as he fired in a 2m00.728s, before he went even quicker with a 2m00.527s.
While Rins did this, Zarco suffered a fast crash into Stowe corner as he lost the front on entry, but managed to walk away unscathed.
He was able to return to the session on his second bike and went fastest of all right at the end with a 1m59.893s – beating Bagnaia by 0.027 seconds, with the pair the only riders breaking out of the two-minute barrier in FP1.
Rins trailed the Ducati duo with a 2m00.220s ahead of Quartararo and LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami.
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Aleix Espargaro was sixth on his Aprilia ahead of his team-mate Maverick Vinales, while Joan Mir was seventh on the sister Suzuki.
Jorge Martin on the second of the Pramac Ducatis and KTM’s Brad Binder…
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