Casey Stoner was the pace setter in the opening MotoGP practice at Jerez as he set about building the foundations for a strong weekend. Looking to bounce back from his disappointment in Qatar the Australian led the times as he went round the Andalusian circuit in a best lap of 1’39.731, before sliding out at Turn 9 with two minutes to go – a fall that resulted in no ill effects.
Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo, who has started the past two races at the circuit from pole position, was second fastest of the session as he lapped at just over a tenth of a second off Stoner’s pace.
The Ducati Marlboro rider’s team-mate Nicky Hayden completed the top three times as he set out on a positive foot, pacing at a fraction over 0.4s off his colleague’s lap time.
Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa will be one of the Spanish contingent looking to make home advantage count this weekend as he seeks a vast improvement, and he was fourth in the hour-long session as he took his RC212V around at just under half a second off Stoner’s marker. MotoGP
World champion Valentino Rossi, who won in Qatar, was fifth fastest as he nursed a bruised back from a motocross accident earlier this month. The Italian was 0.628 behind Stoner.
Fellow Italian Loris Capirossi made it five different machines in the top six by being the final rider within one-second of Stoner, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards the leading satellite rider in seventh.
Hector Barbera fell at low speed early in the session, but had already recorded a lap quick enough to keep him in the top six for most of the hour, and eighth by the chequered flag.
Fellow home rookie Alvaro Bautista, seeking his first MotoGP finish this weekend, was a fraction slower on the second factory GSV-R. Yahoo! Eurosport
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MotoGP: Spanish Grand Prix - First Practice Results
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