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Australian MotoGP: LCR Honda's Crutchlow leads Rossi in wet FP1

LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow led the way in a wet first practice session for MotoGP's Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island

Rain lashed the circuit, with Friday's torrential conditions forecast to be followed by more wet weather on Saturday before a significantly drier race day on Sunday.

UPDATE: Rossi loses second place in first practice

After a cautious initial 10 minutes, times then tumbled over the next five, with Jack Miller the first rider into the 1m44s barrier.

That was followed by a 1m43s from newly-crowned champion Marc Marquez, a 1m42s from Valentino Rossi and then 1m41s and 1m40s laps from Crutchlow.

The Briton's 1m40.957s was on top when things settled down, 0.041 seconds ahead of Rossi, with Danilo Petrucci third, despite his Pramac Ducati shedding a winglet down the front straight.

When riders would have been heading back out for their final runs inside the final 10 minutes, the rain intensified, essentially bringing the session to an early conclusion.

That meant Crutchlow finished on top, despite only turning eight laps.

Behind the top three split by 0.053s, local hero Miller was fourth for Marc VDS Honda, having overshot Turn 1 twice during the 45 minutes.

Marquez was fifth, ahead of Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso, Suzuki's Maverick Vinales and Tech3 Yamaha's Pol Espargaro, who ran off at Turn 3 in the early stages.

Alvaro Bautista was ninth for Aprilia, ahead of Nicky Hayden, 2.055s off the pace deputising for Dani Pedrosa on the second factory Honda.

Australian Mike Jones impressed at the start of his second MotoGP weekend.

Riding for Avintia Ducati while Hector Barbera stands in for Andrea Iannone at the factory team, Jones was ninth halfway through the session, and ultimately finished 14th.

Outgoing champion Jorge Lorenzo again found the going tough in wet conditions, the Yamaha rider 20th and 4.694s slower than Crutchlow.

In his second grand prix back from injury, Tech3 Yamaha rider Bradley Smith sat out the bulk of the session, emerging for the final 10 minutes when the conditions were at their worst.

Smith finished at the foot of the times, with his seventh and final lap his fastest effort, 8.051s adrift.

PRACTICE ONE RESULTS:

Pos Rider Team Time Gap Laps
1 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda 1m40.957s - 8
2 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Ducati 1m41.010s 0.053s 16
3 Jack Miller Marc VDS Honda 1m41.457s 0.500s 12
4 Marc Marquez Honda 1m41.511s 0.554s 13
5 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1m41.569s 0.612s 13
6 Maverick Vinales Suzuki 1m41.813s 0.856s 10
7 Pol Espargaro Tech3 Yamaha 1m42.465s 1.508s 15
8 Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m42.956s 1.999s 15
9 Nicky Hayden Honda 1m43.012s 2.055s 15
10 Stefan Bradl Aprilia 1m43.070s 2.113s 12
11 Yonny Hernandez Aspar Ducati 1m43.132s 2.175s 16
12 Scott Redding Pramac Ducati 1m43.314s 2.357s 13
13 Mike Jones Avintia Ducati 1m43.483s 2.526s 16
14 Loris Baz Avintia Ducati 1m44.176s 3.219s 10
15 Tito Rabat Marc VDS Honda 1m44.178s 3.221s 17
16 Eugene Laverty Aspar Ducati 1m44.181s 3.224s 13
17 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki 1m44.551s 3.594s 14
18 Hector Barbera Ducati 1m44.792s 3.835s 19
19 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m45.651s 4.694s 9
20 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m47.225s 6.268s 14
- Bradley Smith Tech3 Yamaha 1m49.008s 8.051s 7


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