MotoGP Misano: Valentino Rossi fastest in first practice

Rossi was eighth with three minutes remaining, but then displaced Pol Espargaro with a time of 1m33.605s.

That was fastest by only 0.037 seconds, but Rossi went faster again on his next two laps, with his 1m33.451s effort set after the chequered flag good enough to lead the way by 0.136s.

Espargaro had moved to the top with 12 minutes remaining and wound up second for Tech3 Yamaha, just five days after he was involved in the major first-lap crash in the British Grand Prix.

Silverstone winner Maverick Vinales was third for Suzuki, 0.262s slower than Rossi, ahead of Marc Marquez, who had a low-speed fall at Turn 10 halfway through the session.

Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa were fifth and sixth, making it a group of five Spaniards in the order behind Rossi.

Andrea Dovizioso was a quiet seventh for Ducati, while team-mate Andrea Iannone crashed at the high-speed Turn 13 right-hander just 10 minutes into the session, after getting his Ducati unsettled on the entry kerb.

He went to clinica mobile for checks, including an x-ray, and finished the session 17th.

Iannone has subsequently been transported to Cesena hospital for additional checks on his back.

Hector Barbera, Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding, whose Pramac Ducati suffered an engine problem at the end of the 45 minutes, completed the top 10.

In 12th and 13th for Aprilia and Marc VDS Honda, Stefan Bradl had Jack Miller had encouraging sessions.

Miller's team-mate Tito Rabat crashed at the same corner at Iannone with five minutes remaining.

Michelin is introducing a new front tyre with a different casing at Misano, and Eugene Laverty and Danilo Petrucci crashed at Turn 15, Laverty midway through the session and Petrucci with five minutes remaining.

Standing in for injured Avintia Ducati rider Loris Baz, World Superbike Championship racer Xavi Fores was 22nd and last, 3.639s off the pace.

FP1 TIMES