Iannone from Pirro in Mugello FP1

The morning after announcing he will not be with Suzuki in 2019, Andrea Iannone let his riding do the talking by leading free practice 1 for his home Italian MotoGP.

Iannone moved to the top after fitting a new medium rear tyre for a final time attack, setting a 1m 48.880s to pull 0.550s clear of long-time leader Michele Pirro, the Ducati test rider competing as a wild-card this weekend.

Pirro was just ahead of team regular and defending Mugello winner Andrea Dovizioso, with both riders setting their best laps at the end of their opening run, while using a soft rear slick.

Maverick Vinales recovered from a turn one fall at the start of his very first flying lap of the weekend to claim fourth place for Yamaha, 0.742s from Iannone. Pramac's Jack Miller continued his excellent form to be the leading satellite rider in fifth, using medium tyres.

World champion Marc Marquez, the quickest rider in the recent private test, was sixth (+0.782s). Like Pirro and Dovizioso, the Repsol Honda rider's best lap also came at the end of his initial run, but while using medium tyres.

Rookie Franco Morbidelli made an impressive start to his first home premier-class event with seventh (+0.958s) for Marc VDS, just ahead of VR46 Academy boss Valentino Rossi.

Dovizioso factory Ducati team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was eighth ahead of LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow, who was the final rider within one-second of Iannone.

Those having a tougher than expected start to the weekend included Monster Yamaha Tech3's Johann Zarco (11th), Suzuki's Alex Rins (12th), Pramac's Danilo Petrucci (13th), Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro (14th) and Dani Pedrosa (17th).

Click Here for the full FP1 results…