After a disappointing first morning session, the Spaniard from Team Aspar and his Ducati GP16 recovered well in the afternoon by climbing into the top 10. If it rained on Saturday morning, qualification for Q2 would be saved, which was the main thing on this Friday.
The first free practice session did not go ideally for Bautista, who lacked feeling with his machine. He could only get the fifteenth time, 0.848 behind the leader Danilo Petrucci. For example, this ranked him only three hundredths ahead of Pol Espargaro and his KTM.
The afternoon was much more favorable, and Alvaro climbed into the ten fastest with the ninth time. He thus found himself between Johann zarco et Dani Pedrosa, 0.973 from the best time of Maverick Vinales.
After a difficult start to the season, Bautista responded well in the last few races, scoring valuable points with fifth place in Mugello and seventh in Barcelona.
For Alvaro Bautista, “ Here at Assen you never know what the weather is going to do from one day to the next, so you have to make the most of the first session to try and get the time that will allow you to qualify for Q2 in case where.
“We managed to get into the top ten today, so if it rains tomorrow we're good. Otherwise, we will continue to work. We'll try to find something else that takes us forward because I'm not completely comfortable on the bike.
“I still need to find a little more contact between the tire and the track. If we move on to Q2, we'll use tomorrow to work on our race rather than worrying about grid position. »
Results of the first day:
1. Maverick Vinales ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 33.130
2. Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 33.497s +0.367
3. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 33.782s +0.652
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 33.790s +0.660
5. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 33.828s +0.698
6. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 33.830s +0.700
7. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 33.890s +0.760
8. Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 33.986s +0.856
9. Alvaro Bautista ESP Pull&Bear Aspar Team (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 34.103 +0.973
10. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 34.148s +1.018
11. Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 34.299
12. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 34.337s +1.207
13. Aleix Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 34.491s +1.361
14. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 34.523s +1.393
15. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 34.596s +1.466
16. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 34.605s +1.475
17. Andrea Iannone ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 34.617s +1.487
18. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 34.759s +1.629
19. Alex Rins ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 1m 34.923s +1.793
20. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 1m 35.039s +1.909
21. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 35.185s +2.055
22. Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 35.373s +2.243
23. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 36.334s +3.204
Provisional ranking of the World Championship:
1 Maverick VIÑALES-Yamaha 111 points
2 Andrea DOVIZIOSO-Ducati 104
3 Marc MARQUEZ-Honda 88
4 Dani PEDROSA-Honda 84
5 Valentino ROSSI-Yamaha 83
6 Johann ZARCO-Yamaha 75
7 Jorge LORENZO-Ducati 59
8 Jonas FOLGER-Yamaha 51
9 Cal CRUTCHLOW-Honda 45
10 Danilo PETRUCCI-Ducati 42
11 Alvaro BAUTISTA-Ducati 34
12 Scott REDDING-Ducati 33
13 Jack MILLER-Honda 30
14 Loris BAZ-Ducati 23
15 Andrea IANNONE-Suzuki 21
16 Hector BARBERA-Ducati 21
