Marco Bezzecchi dominated opening practice for the Dutch Grand Prix with Jorge Martin, fresh from victory in Germany, finishing second fastest in Assen on Friday.
Bezzecchi, an Italian on a Ducati run by Valentino Rossi’s VR46 satellite team, was fastest in the morning and then sped up in the afternoon to record a best lap time of 1min 32.063sec.
In the afternoon, he was 0.130sec ahead of the man who pushed him out of second place in the standings last Sunday, Spaniard Martin on a Pramac Ducati.
Australian Jack Miller was third on a KTM with world champion and series leader Francesco Bagnaia on a factory Ducati improving after a sluggish morning to post the fourth-best time.
Spaniard Maverick Vinales was fifth on an Aprilia.
Former world champion Fabio Quartararo, who has been lagging on his Yamaha this season, was an encouraging sixth, despite riding with a broken toe. Six-time world champion Marc Marquez was on the floor again after crashing five times last weekend and his boss at Honda, Alberto Puig, acknowledged “the bike is not performing the way he needs”.
Marquez was only 19th in a field of 23 after a fall in the second session scuppered his chances of finishing in the top ten and going straight to Saturday’s second qualifying session which decides the front grid positions.
Marquez broke his thumb at the Sachsenring and missed last Sunday’s race. The Spaniard is also the subject of speculation that he might leave struggling Honda for dominant Ducati. His Honda boss acknowledged in an interview on the MotoGP web site that Marquez and the team had problems
“He understands clearly that the bike is not performing the way he needs and on the other hand he is a champion and he is pushing that’s why he’s crashing,” said Puig.
“We understand Marc’s not happy, but we respect him.”
“There is not one rider on the planet that is happy crashing.”
Puig said Marquez was “bruised and battered”.
“Here in Assen he is a little affected in the ribs and the ankles.”
The two qualifying sessions on Saturday will decide the grids for both the sprint race on Saturday afternoon and the Grand Prix tomorrow.