It was fully wet for MotoGP’s first free practice at the Ricardo Tormo circuit at Valencia with its new asphalt and in these conditions and completely at ease in the wet was Ducati’s Nicky Hayden.
The American shone during the entire session, but it was in the dying minutes that he posted a 1.
44.
485 lap, leaving Dani Pedrosa after his breakthrough wet win at Sepang and dominating this morning in second and more than a second adrift.
Third fastest was the 2012 World champion Jorge Lorenzo, who didn’t take any unecessary risks, wanting to win this final race of the season.
Andrea Dovizioso was fourth while Alvaro Bautista was fifth.
Aleix Espargaro who wants to win the title of best CRT rider against his own team mate Randy de Puniet was sixth and he was two seconds adrift.
Valentino Rossi was 7th in his final weekend with Ducati with Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow behind as was Aspar’s Randy de Puniet.
Closing out the top ten was Casey Stoner, who like Lorenzo decided not to take any risks as he is gunning to retire with a win – which would be his 46th of his fantastic career.
To replace injured Ben Spies – who will miss his final race with Yamaha before switching to Pramac Ducati next season – the Iwata manufacturer again called on Katsuyuki Nakasuga as a replacement rider.
The 31-year who just won his third Japanese Superbike title replaced Jorge Lorenzo at the Spanish track last year finishing sixth and during the recent Motegi round wildcarded with his YSP Racing Team and took 9th after being pipped by Nicky Hayden.
Nakasuga finished this session in 13th, but he also binned his M1.
Hiroshi Aoyama is also back in MotoGP and debuting with Avintia Blusens FTR- Kawasaki replacing injured Yonny Hernandez not only in the season finale, but also for the 2013 season, while the Colombian rider is tipped to be heading to Paul Bird’s PBM team and replace James Ellison.
The Japanese rider was last and almost 10 seconds from Hayden.
Avintia Blusens also has Claudio Corti in their garage.
The Italian rider who will be riding for Forward Racing next year but this weekend he’ll be on the debuting Inmotec machine, which had several technical problems leaving him in 21st but he was still 2 seconds faster than Aoyama.
MotoGP Valencia FP1 results:01- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – 1’44.
485 02- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 1.
005 03- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
460 04- Andrea Dovizioso – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
536 05- Alvaro Bautista – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 1.
928 06- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – + 2.
089 07- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 2.
193 08- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.
354 09- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – + 2.
55410- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 3.
042 11- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 3.
340 12- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 3.
377 13- Katsuyuki Nakasuga – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 3.
625 14- Michele Pirro – San Carlo Honda Gresini – FTR Honda MGP12 – + 3.
759 15- Ivan Silva – Avintia Blusens – BQR FTR – + 4.
433 16- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 4.
658 17- Hector Barbera – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 4.
959 18- Colin Edwards – NGM Mobile Forward Racing – Suter BMW – + 5.
263 19- James Ellison – Paul Bird Motorsport – ART GP12 – + 6.
250 20- Roberto Rolfo – Speed Master Team – ART GP12 – + 7.
341 21- Claudio Corti – Avintia Blusens – Inmotec – + 7.
511 22- Hiroshi Aoyama – Avintia Blusens – BQR FTR – + 9.
760
