The new Aprilia rider’s 1m32.666s set moments before the rain intensified in the first practice session was enough to give the Spaniard top spot overall, with heavy rain returning for the start of the afternoon session.
While Vinales says he was “much more calm” with topping FP1, he concedes it will have little bearing to his overall performance this weekend. This is only his second competitive outing on the RS-GP, having switched to Aprilia after being dropped by Yamaha last month.
Due to the mixed weather conditions, the best outright lap times were all set in the first session, which meant defending MotoGP world champion Joan Mir slotted into second overall for Suzuki ahead of Aragon GP winner Francesco Bagnaia on the factory Ducati and his team-mate Jack Miller.
Alex Rins claimed fifth for Suzuki in front of Honda’s Pol Espargaro and MotoGP world championship leader Fabio Quartararo on the factory Yamaha. The French rider endured a tough FP2 in the wet, struggling for feeling with his M1, and ended the session down in 18th place.
Honda wildcard Stefan Bradl grabbed eighth place overall as Honda’s Marc Marquez and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro rounded out the top 10 on the combined times.
Franco Morbidelli ended Friday 16th overall on his return to MotoGP after being out since June with a knee injury, making his debut with the factory Yamaha team as Vinales’s full-time replacement, while Andrea Dovizioso was 24th and last as he makes his comeback with the Petronas SRT Yamaha squad.
Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
What time does qualifying start for the Misano MotoGP?
Qualifying for the Misano MotoGP is set to start at 1:10pm BST (2:10pm local time), using the regular Q1 and Q2 sessions format. Qualifying takes place directly after the 30-minute FP4 session which is set to start at 12:30pm BST (1:30pm local time).
The fastest 10 MotoGP riders on the FP1-2-3 combined timesheet automatically head into Q2, with the rest of the riders entering Q1 of qualifying. The two riders who are fastest in the 15-minute Q1 session will progress into Q2 to compete with the top 10 from practice. Q2, which also lasts 15 minutes, decides who gets pole position and the qualifying order for the front four rows of the grid.
- Date: Saturday 18th September 2021
- Start time: 1:10pm BST (2:10pm local time)
How can I watch Misano MotoGP qualifying?
In the United Kingdom every MotoGP practice, qualifying and race is broadcast live on BT Sport.
Misano MotoGP qualifying will be broadcast on BT Sport 2, with the programme starting at 11am BST to also cover qualifying for the Moto3 and Moto2 classes.
- TV Channel: BT Sport 2
- Start time: 11:00am BST
MotoGP also offers its own live online video streaming service which is available to stream in the UK.
Valentino Rossi, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
What’s the weather forecast for qualifying at Misano?
Cloudy but warm weather conditions are forecast for qualifying at Misano on Saturday afternoon, with a small chance of rain, and highs of 23 degrees Celsius – three degrees cooler than qualifying for the Aragon MotoGP last time out.