Maverick Vinales tops the MotoGP timesheets for the first time as an Aprilia rider, during a rain-interrupted&ꦬnbsp♕;opening practice for the 2021 San Marino MotoGP at Misano.

Vinales expected to close the gap during his second Aprilia race weekend, h💛elped by a prior Misano test, and the former Yamaha rider backed up his words by being fast from the start of FP1, then&nbs🐼p;topping the session with 15mins to go.

When rain, which&n🍃bsp;is a threat throughout this weekend, began to pour down a few minutes later Vinales was confirmed on top of the timesheets by 0.080s over Suzuki's Joan Mir.

Francesco Bagnaia, who ♉took his first MotoGP win after a thirrling showdown with Marc Marquez last weekend in Aragon, was an early session leader before being kept in the Ducati pits by some technical issues.

Bagnaia finished the session in third, jus꧙t ahead of team-mate Jack Miller.

World championship leader Fabio Quartararo gestured his discomfort with a shaking Monster Yamaha on his way to seventh place, just behind the top Honda of Pol Espargaro. Repꦦsol team-mate Marc Marquez and wild-card Stefan Bradl made it three RC213Vs in the top ten, whcih was completed by Vinales' team-mate Aleix Espargaro.

This morning's session also saw Andrea Doviz🦩ioso's first grand prix weekend laps since 2020 and first on a Yamaha since 2012.

The former triple titꦬle runner-up is taking over Franco Morbidelli's ex-Petronas Yamaha A-Spec bike for the remainder of the season ahead of a full 20ꦏ22 campaign. The former Ducati star settled back into MotoGP with 24th and last this morning, +2.5s.

Morbidelli meanwhile made his return from a lengthy absense due to left knee surgery to make his debut at Monster Yamaha, as Vinales' full-time replacement alongside Fabio Quartararo. The Italian, a winner one year ago, was 1🦩6th quickest in FP1.

As ꦛwell as Bradl, Michele Pirro (Ducati) is also making a wild-card appearance this weekend.

A two-day official test will be held next week while the second Misano round, also the final home MotoGP appearance for local legend Valཧentino Rossi, will take plac💟e on October 22-24…

* Rookie
Official Misano MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 31.007s (2020)
Fastest race lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 32.319s(2020)