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Qatar MotoGP test: Andrea Dovizioso keeps Ducati on top

Andrea Dovizioso fended off Marc Marquez to keep Ducati on top for a second day of MotoGP testing in Qatar

In a repeat of Saturday's session, Ducati team-mates Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone and Honda man Marquez swapped the top spot between themselves through the evening, as again most riders waited until darkness to take to the Losail track.

Dovizioso emerged in front with a 1m54.907s, beating Casey Stoner's 2008 lap record. He was 0.184 seconds faster than Marquez, with Iannone just 0.013s further back.

Ducati fitted more upgrades to its still-developing GP15 for Sunday, with a new exhaust and a return to the winglet concept on its fairing that it last used in 2010.

Both Iannone and Dovizioso felt there was still a lot more to come from the Ducati as its handling is refined.

Yamaha higher up the order than on Saturday, as Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi took fourth and fifth ahead of the second factory Honda of Dani Pedrosa, but still half a second off the pace - to its riders' frustration.

Top satellite Honda rider Cal Crutchlow was only 0.042s behind Pedrosa for LCR, despite a crash early in the day, with just a tenth and a half from Lorenzo in fourth to the Tech 3 Yamahas of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro in eighth and ninth. The top 14 bikes were covered by less than a second.

Karel Abraham showed his best winter form so car on the AB Honda to complete the top 10, inching out Pramac Ducati rider Yonny Hernandez, now back on the pace as he continues to recover from his collarbone injury.

Suzuki had a lower-profile day after flying on Saturday, with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales sandwiching Scott Redding in 12th and 14th, while the Aprilias remained at the back.

The final day of pre-season testing takes place on Monday, from 4pm to 11pm local time again, ahead of the opening grand prix of 2015 at the same venue in a fortnight.

SUNDAY TIMES

Pos Rider Team Bike Time Gap Laps
1 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Ducati 1m54.907s - 38
2 Marc Marquez Honda Honda 1m55.091s 0.184s 54
3 Andrea Iannone Ducati Ducati 1m55.104s 0.197s 46
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Yamaha 1m55.500s 0.593s 51
5 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Yamaha 1m55.581s 0.674s 61
6 Dani Pedrosa Honda Honda 1m55.582s 0.675s 40
7 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda 1m55.624s 0.717s 42
8 Bradley Smith Tech 3 Yamaha 1m55.648s 0.741s 49
9 Pol Espargaro Tech 3 Yamaha 1m55.658s 0.751s 46
10 Karel Abraham AB Motoracing Honda 1m55.765s 0.858s 41
11 Yonny Hernandez Pramac Racing Ducati 1m55.772s 0.865s 33
12 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki Suzuki 1m55.795s 0.888s 33
13 Scott Redding Marc VDS Honda 1m55.803s 0.896s 60
14 Maverick Vinales Suzuki Suzuki 1m55.810s 0.903s 42
15 Hector Barbera Avintia Racing Ducati 1m56.058s 1.151s 50
16 Nicky Hayden Aspar Honda 1m56.104s 1.197s 44
17 Mike Di Meglio Avintia Racing Ducati 1m56.259s 1.352s 53
18 Eugene Laverty Aspar Honda 1m56.342s 1.435s 54
19 Michele Pirro Ducati Ducati 1m56.476s 1.569s 32
20 Stefan Bradl Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 1m56.724s 1.817s 17
21 Jack Miller LCR Honda 1m56.758s 1.851s 50
22 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Racing Ducati 1m56.762s 1.855s 32
23 Loris Baz Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 1m56.936s 2.029s 40
24 Alvaro Bautista Aprilia Gresini Aprilia 1m57.273s 2.366s 46
25 Alex de Angelis IodaRacing Project ART/Aprilia 1m57.390s 2.483s 45
26 Marco Melandri Aprilia Gresini Aprilia 1m57.982s 3.075s 23

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