The MotoGP class took to a drying track for the first practice outing of the 2011 season closer, with several tributes to Marco Simoncelli revealed as the bikes hit the asphalt.
Loris Capirossi’s Ducati displayed Marco Simoncelli’s number 58 on his Pramac Racing machine and Hiroshi Aoyama’s bike ran unbranded, instead featuring a message to his fallen team mate.
As the riders gingerly made their way around the slippery Ricardo Tormo circuit, various riders took turns at the top of the times, including Toni Elías (LCR Honda), Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team), Nicky Hayden and Capirossi.
It wasn’t until the final three minutes that World Champion Casey Stoner claimed the top spot with a time of 1’45.513, with Pedrosa jumping into second, two tenths behind his Repsol Honda team mate.
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The Ducati Team duo of Rossi and Hayden posted the third and fourth quickest laps, the Italian just 0.092s off Pedrosa’s pace and Hayden two tenths off his team mate. motogp.com
Capirossi held fifth place, ahead of top Yamaha rider Ben Spies in sixth. Elias fell to eighth, behind Pramac’s Randy de Puniet.
Hiroshi Aoyama was 14th on the sole Gresini Honda entered this weekend following the death of Marco Simoncelli at Sepang.
MotoGP debutant Josh Hayes, substituting for the injured Colin Edwards at Tech 3 Yamaha, beat factory test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga - in for Jorge Lorenzo - to 15th.
The track remained consistently damp, with lap times only improving by five seconds through the course of the session. Despite the slippery surface the riders all stayed upright, with a trip through the Turn 1 gravel for Hector Barbera (Aspar Ducati) the only incident. Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Pos. Num. Rider Team Time 1 27 Casey STONER Repsol Honda Team 1'45.513 2 26 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'45.736 3 46 Valentino ROSSI Ducati Team 1'45.828 4 69 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'46.073 5 65 Loris CAPIROSSI Pramac Racing Team 1'46.108 6 11 Ben SPIES Yamaha Factory Racing 1'46.259 7 14 Randy DE PUNIET Pramac Racing Team 1'46.371 8 24 Toni ELIAS LCR Honda MotoGP 1'46.393 9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSORepsol Honda Team 1'46.402 10 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'46.581 11 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'46.922 12 8 Hector BARBERA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1'46.967 13 17 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'47.079 14 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'47.581 15 41 Josh HAYES Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'48.037 16 89 Katsuyuki NAKASUGAYamaha Factory Racing 1'48.382
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