Crutchlow rules the roost in Jerez

Bengaluru, May 5: Independent Team rider Cal Crutchlow of LCR Honda Castrol ruled the roost in the practice session of Spanish MotoGP at the Jerez circuit, with the Argentina GP winner taking to the top in FP2 and leader on the combined timesheets.

The British rider was 0.028 clear of Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) in P2, 0.091 ahead of Johann Zarco ( Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and still not even a tenth in front of Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in fourth.

REPORT: @calcrutchlow on top, with 15 riders in a second!

It’s tight at Jerez on Day 1 – with a crash for @marcmarquez93, Independent Teams flying and another stunning performance from @26_DaniPedrosa#MotoGP | #SpanishGP 📰 https://t.co/RDHjLIGbnm pic.twitter.com/PMJd1ObP9J

— MotoGP™🇪🇸🏁 (@MotoGP) May 4, 2018

As well as the incredible equality of the top four within a tenth, the top 15 ended Day 1 within a second and the whole grid was covered by two seconds - a tantalizing prospect for race day if it remains the same.

The headlines didn't stop there. 2017 Jerez winner Pedrosa, who is still recovering from a broken wrist, put in a stunning performance once again to not only threaten the top but also show some key consistency - with Zarco just behind him and top Yamaha.

Iannone kept his solid form rolling after his rostrum finish in Texas, just ahead of what was another key moment of the day: reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), despite having shown awesome pace throughout both sessions, crashing out towards the end of FP2.The man right behind Marquez after Day 1 was Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), who went fastest in FP1, with his teammate Jorge Lorenzo taking seventh on Friday at the track at which he took his first podium in red in 2017.

Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was the top Independent Team Ducati rider in P8 overall after more solid top ten pace, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) taking ninth overall after a late move up from outside provisional Q2 entry.

The man completing the top ten was Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), after the Spaniard put in an incredible charge in FP1 to end that session in third and the day in tenth overall.

Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was P12 and will have his sights set significantly further up the timesheets as everything is open, close and set up for the second day.

(With MotoGP inputs)