Cal Crutchlow wasn't surprised to see Jorge Lorenzo at the top of the timesheets on day one at Catalunya, following the Spaniard's debut win for Ducati last time at Mugello.

Lorenzo finished Friday's pair of free practice sessions 0.107s ahead of Suzuki's Andrea Iannone, but almost half-a-second clear of third place Maverick Vinales.

"Lorenzo nailed a lap, nailed the final sector. He's absolutely on form at the minute," said Crutchlow, who was sixth overall (+0.528s) but the top Honda rider.

"When he's [riding] like that, it's horrendous!

"Honestly after Mugello, I knew it'd be a difficult weekend here to beat him. This was a race he led last year and finished fourth.

"He's riding really well and he made a very, very good lap.

"He's obviously just clicked with the bike a little bit more and is a lot more comfortable [after the latest parts].

"You can see the way he brakes. He's decelerating better."

Lorenzo will mirror Crutchlow's career path in moving from Yamaha to Ducati and then, in 2019, Honda machinery.

Crutchlow believes Lorenzo will continue to be fully backed by Ducati despite his decision to leave, adding cryptically that the triple MotoGP champion's move to Repsol Honda also worked out ' very favourable towards me'.

"Ducati will help who is winning, because that's the philosophy," he said. "They are not going to pull support from Lorenzo. If they were pulling support he'd have been tenth today, not fastest.

"I think the [2019 rider moves], if we are talking about my situation, has worked out fantastically. With what has been going on and behind the scenes, stuff like that. It worked out very favourable towards me."

Why has it been favourable to you?

"Why wouldn't it be? I'm saying it's favourable to me, but I don't have to tell you why! It is very favourable to me, as you may see soon…"

Returning to the subject of Lorenzo, the LCR rider - contracted directly to Honda until the end of 2019 - felt it was a good move to sign the Spaniard, not least because it denied HRC's rivals of a leading opponent.

"Honda have signed a multiple world champion," he said.

"What they've also done is take away one of the competition from potentially going to another manufacturer as well.

"And, as Jorge said yesterday, he's won races with every manufacturer and every championship he's been in.

"I honestly think it was a good move. And it was a good move for me as well, as I said…"