MotoGP: Dovizioso keeps Ducati on top in Qatar

Andrea Dovizioso fended off Marc Marquez to keep Ducati on top for a second day of MotoGP testing in Qatar.

In a repeat of Saturday's session, Ducati teammates Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone and Honda man Marquez swapped the top spot between themselves through the evening, as again most riders waited until darkness to take to the Losail track.

Dovizioso emerged in front with a 1m54.907s, beating Casey Stoner's 2008 lap record. He was 0.184 seconds faster than Marquez, with Iannone just 0.013s further back.

Ducati fitted more upgrades to its still-developing GP15 for Sunday, with a new exhaust and a return to the winglet concept on its fairing that it last used in 2010.

Yamaha was closer to the pace after an unhappy Saturday, as Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi took fourth and fifth ahead of the second factory Honda of Dani Pedrosa.

Top satellite Honda rider Cal Crutchlow was only 0.042s behind Pedrosa for LCR, despite a crash early in the day, with just a tenth and a half from Lorenzo in fourth to the Tech 3 Yamahas of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro in eighth and ninth. The top 14 bikes were covered by less than a second.

Karel Abraham showed his best winter form so car on the AB Honda to complete the top 10, inching out Pramac Ducati rider Yonny Hernandez, now back on the pace as he continues to recover from his collarbone injury.

Suzuki had a lower-profile day after flying on Saturday, with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales sandwiching Scott Redding in 12th and 14th, while the Aprilias remained at the back.

The final day of pre-season testing takes place on Monday, from 4pm to 11pm, ahead of the opening grand prix of 2015 at the same venue in two weeks.

Originally on Autosport.com