MotoGP: Vinales leads Yamaha 1-2 in opening Silverstone session

Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi were able to forget their Austrian GP woes to go 1-2 in the opening MotoGP practice session at Silverstone this morning.

Up the sharp end throughout the 45-minute session, Vinales and Rossi cemented their place at the top with quick laps in the closing moments.

Vinales’ 2’02.073 was marginally quicker than last year’s FP1 as riders got their first taste of Silverstone’s new surface.

The Spaniard’s time put him 0.189 seconds ahead of team-mate Valentino Rossi with the 3.6-mile circuit much more forgiving on the exit grip and acceleration woes Yamaha have suffered in recent rounds.

Ducati’s Dovizioso was third quickest, just 0.001 seconds off Rossi with home hero Crutchlow, who stormed to the top of the session with ten minutes to go, fourth on the LCR Honda.

Jack Miller got off to a strong start to the weekend in fifth with winner last time out Jorge Lorenzo sixth quickest to round out the opening session.

Tito Rabat placed seventh ahead of Andrea Iannone and Johann Zarco while world champion Marc Marquez could only manage the tenth quickest time as his British GP got underway.

The Respol Honda rider crashed unhurt early in the session as he was unable to save a typical Marquez-style front end tuck at Brooklands.

Bradley Smith got off to a respectable start in what looks set to be his last home Grand Prix in 12^th for KTM, while compatriot Scott Redding was 18^th quickest as he awaits the arrival of Aprilia’s new engine.