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Misano MotoGP: Vinales tops rain-hit FP1 for Aprilia

Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales topped a rain-interrupted FP1 for the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix as Andrea Dovizioso and Franco Morbidelli marked their returns.

Watch: MotoGP: Vinales tops rain-hit FP1 for Aprilia

Since losing his factory Ducati seat at the end of 2020, Dovizioso has been on a sabbatical, during which time he has undergone a test programme with Aprilia with a view to a full-time return in 2022.

With that avenue closing upon Maverick Vinales’ signing, his Yamaha exit paved the way for Morbidelli to move up to the factory Yamaha squad, with Dovizioso taking over the vacant Petronas SRT M1 for the remainder of the year.

Dovizioso ended his first official MotoGP session since November last of the 24-rider field, 2.5 seconds off the pace, while Morbidelli was 16th on his return from the knee injury which has sidelined him since June.

The 45-minute session got underway in dry conditions, though the threat of rain was omnipresent as dark clouds swelled above the Misano circuit.

Top spot changed hands frequently over the opening 15 minutes, with Ducati wildcard Michele Pirro setting the initial benchmark at a 1m35.476s.

After the opening 15 minutes, Aragon race winner Francesco Bagnaia had guided his factory Ducati to the top of the standings with a 1m32.801s.

It wasn’t a smooth session for MotoGP’s latest winner, as some technical gremlins with his bike robbed him of some crucial dry track time.

By the time Ducati had resolved the problem, Bagnaia’s run plan was curtailed by the arrival of heavy rain.

Just moments before the weather turned, Vinales – who did test at Misano a fortnight ago - had returned to the top of the standings with a 1m32.666s having served brief stints there earlier in the session.

And with the rain forcing everyone back into pitlane, Vinales’ time would go unchallenged through to the chequered flag.

Suzuki duo Alex Rins and Joan Mir, as well as Honda’s Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez took the opportunity in the closing stages of FP1 to get some wet mileage under their belts.

At the chequered flag Mir was runner-up to Vinales, 0.080 seconds adrift, with Bagnaia completing the top three.

Ducati teammate Jack Miller was fourth ahead of Rins, Pol Espargaro and championship leader Fabio Quartararo on the factory Yamaha – the Frenchman having a scrappy session on his M1.

Honda wildcard Stefan Bradl headed Marc Marquez and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro to round out the top 10, while Avintia’s Enea Bastianini put in another strong showing fresh from a career-best sixth at Aragon on his two-year-old Ducati in 12th to shadow Pramac’s Johann Zarco.

Valentino Rossi’s penultimate race on home soil began with him down in 19th in FP1, 1.1s off the pace, while the factory KTM duo of Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira made low-key starts to their weekends in 21st and 22nd.

Misano MotoGP - FP1 results:

Cla Rider Bike Time Gap
1 Spain Maverick Viñales
Aprilia 1'32.666
2 Spain Joan Mir
Suzuki 1'32.746 0.080
3 Italy Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati 1'32.801 0.135
4 Australia Jack Miller
Ducati 1'32.859 0.193
5 Spain Alex Rins
Suzuki 1'32.885 0.219
6 Spain Pol Espargaro
Honda 1'33.019 0.353
7 France Fabio Quartararo
Yamaha 1'33.024 0.358
8 Germany Stefan Bradl
Honda 1'33.047 0.381
9 Spain Marc Marquez
Honda 1'33.100 0.434
10 Spain Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia 1'33.102 0.436
11 France Johann Zarco
Ducati 1'33.143 0.477
12 Italy Enea Bastianini
Ducati 1'33.314 0.648
13 Japan Takaaki Nakagami
Honda 1'33.409 0.743
14 Spain Jorge Martin
Ducati 1'33.451 0.785
15 Italy Michele Pirro
Ducati 1'33.482 0.816
16 Italy Franco Morbidelli
Yamaha 1'33.570 0.904
17 Spain Iker Lecuona
KTM 1'33.710 1.044
18 Spain Alex Marquez
Honda 1'33.766 1.100
19 Italy Valentino Rossi
Yamaha 1'33.791 1.125
20 Italy Danilo Petrucci
KTM 1'33.950 1.284
21 South Africa Brad Binder
KTM 1'34.022 1.356
22 Portugal Miguel Oliveira
KTM 1'34.026 1.360
23 Italy Luca Marini
Ducati 1'34.037 1.371
24 Italy Andrea Dovizioso
Yamaha 1'35.211 2.545

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