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Assen MotoGP: Scott Redding leads Valentino Rossi in wet practice

Pramac Ducati rider Scott Redding led a wet Saturday morning practice for MotoGP's Dutch TT at Assen, ahead of Valentino Rossi's Yamaha

Morning rain had abated by the time the session began, meaning rapidly tumbling times in the opening stages, with Andrea Iannone, Loris Baz and Marc Marquez among the early leaders.

Avintia Ducati man Hector Barbera became the first to breach the 1m47s barrier when he set a 1m46.851s, which was the benchmark when the rain returned around 20 minutes into the session.

But the worsening conditions didn't stop Rossi from improving his times, as he leapt up to third and then into the top spot on a 1m46.709s.

Further improvements were to come as the rain eased up again, and Rossi's time was soon beaten by Redding, who logged a 1m46.655s on his GP16 Ducati.

Redding, a podium finisher in the wet at Assen last year, soon improved to a 1m46.491s to cement his place atop the timesheets, and finally ended the session with a best of 1m46.441s.

Rossi found further time on his final lap to end up 0.231s shy of Redding.

Marquez was third on the best of the Hondas, followed by the second works Yamaha of Maverick Vinales and Johann Zarco's Tech 3 Yamaha.

Barbera's earlier time proved enough for sixth, ahead of Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, top factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo, Loris Baz - who crashed at Turn 3 late on the second Avintia bike - and Andrea Iannone for Suzuki.

Andrea Dovizioso ended up outside the top 10 on the second works GP17 Ducati, one spot behind first practice pacesetter Danilo Petrucci.

Cal Crutchlow was the only other rider to crash, the LCR Honda man tumbling at the Turn 8 kink late in the session and ending up 15th, 0.968s off the pace.

The second works Honda of Dani Pedrosa was slowest of all, a full 2.850s off the pace and fractionally behind Tito Rabat's Marc VDS machine.

But with no riders improving on their Friday times, Pedrosa still gets an automatic bye into Q2, while Espargaro, Lorenzo, Redding, Baz and Barbera will all have to contest Q1.

PRACTICE THREE TIMES:

Pos Rider Team Time Gap Laps
1 Scott Redding Pramac Ducati 1m46.441s - 19
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m46.672s 0.231s 21
3 Marc Marquez Honda 1m46.743s 0.302s 19
4 Maverick Vinales Yamaha 1m46.756s 0.315s 17
5 Johann Zarco Tech3 Yamaha 1m46.794s 0.353s 21
6 Hector Barbera Avintia Ducati 1m46.851s 0.410s 19
7 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1m46.936s 0.495s 16
8 Jorge Lorenzo Ducati 1m47.075s 0.634s 19
9 Loris Baz Avintia Ducati 1m47.126s 0.685s 13
10 Andrea Iannone Suzuki 1m47.295s 0.854s 21
11 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Ducati 1m47.306s 0.865s 17
12 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1m47.310s 0.869s 16
13 Jonas Folger Tech3 Yamaha 1m47.355s 0.914s 18
14 Jack Miller MVDS Honda 1m47.394s 0.953s 16
15 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda 1m47.409s 0.968s 13
16 Sam Lowes Aprilia 1m47.657s 1.216s 19
17 Alex Rins Suzuki 1m47.767s 1.326s 19
18 Pol Espargaro KTM 1m47.774s 1.333s 20
19 Karel Abraham Aspar Ducati 1m47.908s 1.467s 19
20 Alvaro Bautista Aspar Ducati 1m48.194s 1.753s 17
21 Bradley Smith KTM 1m49.235s 2.794s 17
22 Tito Rabat MVDS Honda 1m49.284s 2.843s 19
23 Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m49.291s 2.850s 19


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