Petrucci tops practice ahead of MotoGP

Jerez de la Frontera - Ducati's Danilo Petrucci on Friday topped free practice for the Spanish MotoGP ahead of local hero and world champion Marc Marquez on a Honda.

Italian Petrucci clocked 1min 37.909sec for his fastest time in the second session ahead of Sunday's race, 0.012sec ahead of the Spaniard whose best was recorded in his first session.

Petrucci's team-mate and fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso, the current world championship leader, was third as Ducati and Honda shared the top five placings under a hot sun and on a newly laid track surface.

Two more free practice sessions follow Saturday morning before official qualifying later in the day ahead MotoGP's 300th grand prix.

Standings after free practice (two sessions combined):

1. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 1:37.909

2. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) at 0.012

3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 0.097

4. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Honda) 0.136

5. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/LCR Honda-LCR) 0.195

6. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 0.203

7. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR) 0.225

8. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha-SRT) 0.300

9. Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda) 0.464

10. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati-Pramac) 0.555

Selected:

16. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.772

19. Johann Zarco (FRA/KTM) 0.998