MotoGP Austria: Dovizioso and Lorenzo lead Ducati 1-2-3 in FP1
Andrea Dovizioso led an all-Ducati top three in the first practice session for MotoGP's Austrian Grand Prix, while Valentino Rossi had a mechanical drama on his Yamaha
With a risk of rain for both FP2 on Friday afternoon and FP3 on Saturday morning, the field focused setting a fast lap in the early running.
The three Ducati GP18s controlled proceedings early-on with Danilo Petrucci, Jorge Lorenzo and Dovizioso all taking turns in first place.
But it was Marc Marquez who led the way with a 1m24.411s before a mid-session lull, where the Honda rider was nearly four tenths quicker than Dovizioso.
The Italian started a run 25 minutes into the session where he improved his own best time, and consequently closed the gap to Marquez on a couple occasions before he eventually took over the lead with a 1m24.295s.
The top two remained unchanged until the final minutes when Dovizioso improved by nearly two tenths, only to be narrowly outpaced by Lorenzo.
But as the chequered flag fell, Dovizioso lowered the benchmark even further and ended up topping the session with a 1m23.830s.
Lorenzo was 0.215 seconds behind in second with Petrucci completing the top three nearly half a second off the pace.
Marquez was best of the rest in fourth, 0.581s slower than Dovizioso, with Suzuki's Andrea Iannone taking fifth.
Rossi's bike slowed at the end of the main straight less than 10 minutes into the session, with his bike reportedly suffering a broken rear sprocket.
He was able to continue soon afterwards but ended up finishing the session down in 11th.
Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow were sixth and seventh respectively, with Avintia's Tito Rabat bringing a fourth Ducati into the top 10 in eighth.
Yamaha had a low-key session with Johann Zarco ninth on the Tech3 bike, closely followed by factory pair Maverick Vinales and Rossi, both more than a second off the pace.
Aleix Espargaro was the top Aprilia rider in 12th as the sole KTM entrant Bradley Smith took 15th.
FP1 times
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati | 1m23.830s | - | 22 |
| 2 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Ducati | 1m24.045s | 0.215s | 19 |
| 3 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Ducati | Ducati | 1m24.320s | 0.490s | 22 |
| 4 | Marc Marquez | Honda | Honda | 1m24.411s | 0.581s | 22 |
| 5 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m24.436s | 0.606s | 23 |
| 6 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Honda | 1m24.474s | 0.644s | 23 |
| 7 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | Honda | 1m24.491s | 0.661s | 22 |
| 8 | Tito Rabat | Avintia Ducati | Ducati | 1m24.676s | 0.846s | 25 |
| 9 | Johann Zarco | Tech3 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m24.767s | 0.937s | 22 |
| 10 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m24.835s | 1.005s | 19 |
| 11 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m24.884s | 1.054s | 20 |
| 12 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | Aprilia | 1m24.904s | 1.074s | 22 |
| 13 | Alvaro Bautista | Aspar Ducati | Ducati | 1m24.938s | 1.108s | 23 |
| 14 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m24.939s | 1.109s | 22 |
| 15 | Bradley Smith | KTM | KTM | 1m24.973s | 1.143s | 23 |
| 16 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda | Honda | 1m25.011s | 1.181s | 23 |
| 17 | Franco Morbidelli | MVDS Honda | Honda | 1m25.107s | 1.277s | 24 |
| 18 | Jack Miller | Pramac Ducati | Ducati | 1m25.184s | 1.354s | 21 |
| 19 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | Aprilia | 1m25.354s | 1.524s | 21 |
| 20 | Karel Abraham | Aspar Ducati | Ducati | 1m25.541s | 1.711s | 20 |
| 21 | Hafizh Syahrin | Tech3 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m25.594s | 1.764s | 21 |
| 22 | Xavier Simeon | Avintia Ducati | Ducati | 1m25.752s | 1.922s | 21 |
| 23 | Thomas Luthi | MVDS Honda | Honda | 1m25.979s | 2.149s | 23 |
Why MotoGP and Formula 1 braking is so different
MotoGP riders cast doubt over planned 2019 Mexico race
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022