Nakagami fastest in tight opening Czech MotoGP practice

Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami was fastest on Friday in a competitive opening practice session at the Czech MotoGP.

In a session in which the 15 fastest riders were all within half a second of each other, Takaaki, who rides for the Honda satellite team LCR was just 0.011sec faster than Joan Mir of Suzuki with another Spaniard Pol Espargaro of KTM 0.039 back.

Frenchman Johann Zarco, still adjusting to the handling of his Ducati-Avintia, took an unexpected fourth place with a third Spaniard, Maverick Vinales of Yamaha, next, despite crashing during the session. That meant five different manufacturers were represented in the top five. 

Fabio Quartararo, the Frenchman who leads the World Championship after winning the first two rounds, was only 13th on his Yamaha SRT. Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Honda) is again absent after undergoing a second operation on his broken arm. 

In the Moto2 class, the British rider Sam Lowes (Kalex) is in the lead, ahead of American Joe Roberts (Kalex) and another Kalex rider, Japan's Tetsuta Nagashima. In the Moto3 class, the fastest time was set by Argentinean Gabriel Rodrigo(Honda), ahead of Japan's Kaito Toba (KTM) and Spaniard Raul Fernandez (KTM). 

Opening practice times ahead of the Czech MotoGP in Brno:

1. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR) 1min 57.353sec 2. Joan Mir (ESP/Suzuki) at 0.011, 3. Pol Espargaro (ESP/KTM) 0.039 4. Johann Zarco (FRA/Ducati-Avintia) 0.107, 5. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 0.212, 6. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 0.279, 7. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 0.285, 8. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.293, 9. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha-SRT) 0.365, 10. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Honda-LCR) 0.400, 13. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha-SRT) 0.478