Ducati Marlboro rider Casey Stoner started the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar weekend as the leading MotoGP rider, setting the fastest time of the first free practice session.
The first day of action at the opening round of the 2010 season concluded on Friday evening with Casey Stoner the quickest MotoGP rider under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. The Australian is seeking his fourth successive win at the track this weekend, as he bids to get his title challenge off to a winning start by carrying over his form from the final pre-season Test.
Stoner’s time of 1’55.500 on board his new Desmosedici GP10, resplendent with its new big bang engine, placed him just over half a second ahead of the rest of the 17-strong field, as he displayed his strength at the desert track and ensured he was the only man to get under 1’56” barrier. Stoner set his time on the ninth of 17 laps, the fewest completed of all the riders.
Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha), who admitted prior to the weekend that he may not be at full fitness as he continues to recover from a hand injury, showed no signs of hesitance as he set the second best time of the hour-long session. The Spaniard’s best lap of 1’56.026 came right at the end of the practice, and just before he had a fall which did not appear to cause him any problems. MotoGP
Lorenzo’s team-mate and reigning world champion Valentino Rossi settled for third place, just two-thousandths off the second-placed man.
Rossi is hunting his 10th championship in all classes this season but is looking for his first win under the floodlights of the Losail circuit on Sunday.
Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) took fourth while Stoner’s team-mate Nicky Hayden was fifth ahead of Ben Spies (Tech3 Yamaha), who is embarking on his rookie season.
Another new boy in Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) was seventh, while Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing) and Hector Barbera (Paginas Amarillas Aspar) completed the top 10. The Press Association
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