This morning’s first MotoGP free practice at Jerez was carried out under clear and sunny skies and warm temperatures and as always the fastest on the track was who else, but Casey Stoner, but he managed it only in the last two minutes of the session, pipping team mate Dani Pedrosa.
Pedrosa who will undergo surgery to relieve the pressure on his subclavian artery after Sunday’s race and has never been off the podium at Jerez since his debut in MotoGP, was just 0.
028s slower than Stoner.
The Repsol Honda duo was followed by the unexpected appearance of Valentino Rossi in third.
Rossi was a little more than half a second off pace with his Ducati having some difficulty with his last sector.
In fourth was Marco Simoncelli who almost lost his Gresini Honda at the Criville turn, but managed to save it and finish ahead of Jorge Lorenzo, who put in several long runs with his Yamaha Andrea Dovizioso wasn’t so lucky as Simoncelli, he lost the front of his Honda on his final fast lap and crashed out to finish 6th ahead of Ben Spies and Colin Edwards.
If Rossi finished in third, the other ’suffering’ Ducati riders were Randy De Puniet in 9th, Nicky Hayden 10th, rookie Karel Abraham was 11th, followed by Hector Barbera in 12th.
Loris Capirossi who underwent arm surgery the other week was just 16th.
John Hopkins made his return to MotoGP replacing injured Alvaro Bautista, back on the grid for the first time since the end of 2008 (we don’t count the promo video he did with Suzuki in Qatar).
Hopkins may have finished last and a big 2.
9s off, but he showed off his prowess with some great drifting.
MotoGP Jerez FP1 results:01- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 1’39.
55102- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.
02803- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 0.
52604- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 0.
62505- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
86906- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – +0.
87807- Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
33608- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
51209- Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
51310- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
68211- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
84712- Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 2.
05013- Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 2.
26514- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.
39815- Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 2.
60616- Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 2.
76217- John Hopkins – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 2.
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