Marco Simoncelli managed the quickest time in practice for Sunday’s Italian MotoGP at Mugello.
The Gresini Honda rider continued his recent form to top the timesheets in the morning session at his home track.
Championship leader Casey Stoner was second ahead of another Italian, Andrea Dovizioso, with Jorge Lorenzo fourth.
Dani Pedrosa marked his return from a broken collarbone with the seventh-best time.
Simoncelli has qualified in the top two for the last five races and produced a superb final lap of the opening session as he finished the morning marginally ahead of Stoner. BBC Sport
Another Yamaha was sixth, the Monster Energy Tech 3 machine of Colin Edwards, who was about half a second off the pace of his fellow Texan Spies.
Then came Pedrosa, a creditable seventh in his return to racing after two surgeries on his right collarbone. Pedrosa started slowly, but gained speed and finished his final four-lap run with his best lap of 1:50.104. This was his first time on the RC212V since being knocked down by Simoncelli in the French Grand Prix at Le Mans on May 15.
Behind Pedrosa came the top running Ducati of Nicky Hayden. The Ducati Marlboro rider is on the Desmosedici GP11, while teammate Valentino Rossi campaigns the GP11.1, essentially a GP12 with reduced engine capacity.
Rossi had a disappointing first day for the home crowd. His first run ended with his GP11.1 dying on the track-it was thought to be an electrical issue-and his second bike only netted him the 13th fastest time. In all, Rossi completely only six laps at speed. His best lap came at the end of his first four-lap run. Cycle News
| 
|