Dovizioso fastest in dog-interrupted FP1

Andrea Dovizioso set the pace on the new Ducati GP15 during a wet opening MotoGP practice at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

The session was delayed by almost an hour due to a lack of track personnel, then red-flagged after 15 minutes when a dog got onto the track.

Close moment for Maverick Vinales with the dog on track. FP1 session still red flagged. #cota #motogp pic.twitter.com/O9QL5jrehZ-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) April 10, 2015

None of which distracted Dovizioso who - after taking the new GP15 to a pole position and a victory challenge on its race debut in Qatar - provided it is just as effective in the wet, getting ever faster in the slippery conditions.

The Italian moved up to second, behind world champion Marc Marquez, in the closing stages - then snatched the top spot away from the Repsol Honda rider, who ran wide after a rear-wheel slide in the closing stages, by 0.462s on his final lap.

Scott Redding took third place (+1.085s) for the Marc VDS Honda team as the Englishman put the Qatar front-end problems behind him with a confidence-boosting session. Redding does not yet have the revised chassis and seat available for LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow this weekend.

Qatar winner Valentino Rossi took fourth place - the Italian setting his sights on a debut COTA podium this weekend - followed by Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati), Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mates Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro, then Cal Crutchlow and Movistar Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo.

Rookie Maverick Vinales, who had a close moment with the dog earlier in the session, fell from his Suzuki in the closing five minutes.

FP1:
1. Andrea Dovizioso
2. Marc Marquez
3. Scott Redding
4. Valentino Rossi
5. Danilo Petrucci
6. Bradley Smith
7. Pol Espargaro
8. Cal Crutchlow
9. Jorge Lorenzo
10. Yonny Hernandez
11. Alvaro Bautista
12. Hiroshi Aoyama
13. Jack Miller
14. Stefan Bradl
15. Nicky Hayden
16. Aleix Espargaro
17. Mike Di Meglio
18. Hector Barbera
19. Andrea Iannone
20. Loris Baz
21. Eugene Laverty
22. Maverick Vi?ales
23. Marco Melandri
24. Alex De Angelis
25. Karel Abraham