SEPANG, MALAYSIA, OCT 17: Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi topped first practice with his final lap of the Sepang Circuit on a typically hot and humid day in Malaysia.
The recently crowned world champion turned his best lap of 2:02.693 with his final go around the 3.47-mile circuit, site of the penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship.
Though Rossi was the only rider in the 2:02’s, he was a full two seconds off his circuit best lap of 2:00.605 from 2006.
First-timer Jorge Lorenzo was half a second slower than his Fiat Yamaha teammate. Though Lorenzo has never raced an 800 in Sepang, he has extensive off-season testing experience.
Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner was a scant .016 secs. off Lorenzo’s pace a day after announcing he’ll have his troubled right wrist operated on almost immediately after the end of the season. Stoner, who turned 23 on Thursday, will be out of action for an indefinite period. But he won’t miss as much testing as he might have. Because Bridgestone won’t be able to make control tires in time, the Ducati Marlboro team has canceled an early winter test.
Texan Colin Edwards was the first American down in fourth and .244 secs. behind Stoner. Edwards had held the fastest lap earlier in the session with fellow Americans John Hopkins (Kawasaki) and Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden just behind.
On the strength of his final lap, Hayden ended up sixth, one back of LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet, who continued his crash-strewn season by tucking the front with about four minutes remaining. Hayden’s best lap of 2:03.649 was about a second off Rossi’s pace.
Hayden was the first of four riders covered by .2 secs. Close behind came Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano, and JiR Team Scot MotoGP’s Andrea Dovizioso.
Tech 3 Yamaha’s James Toseland finished the session tenth.
Hopkins slid to 14th.
Friday MotoGP Practice:
1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2:02.693
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2:03.179
3. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2:03.195
4. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2:03.439
5. Randy de Puniet (Honda) 2:03.535
6. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2:03.649
7. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) 2:03.735
8. Shinya Nakano (Honda) 2:03.785
9. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 2:03.839
10. James Toseland (Yamaha) 2:03.964
11. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2:04.137
12. Marco Melandri (Ducati) 2:04.169
13. Alex de Angelis (Honda) 2:04.256
14. John Hopkins (Kawasaki) 2:04.267
15. Anthony West (Kawasaki) 2:04.383
16. Toni Elias (Ducati) 2:04.399
17. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2:04.460
18. Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati) 2:04.833
19. Nobu Aoki (Suzuki) 2:07.530
