SEPANG, MALAYSIA, OCT 18: Kawasaki’s Anthony West was the surprise fast runner in Saturday morning MotoGP practice at the Sepang Circuit with a performance that invited instant speculation that it had been done on a qualifying tire.
West finished the steamy session with the best lap of the weekend, a 2:02.116 that was 1.8 secs. faster than he’d gone so far and half a second faster than Friday’s best lap which was turned in by Tech 3 Yamaha’s Colin Edwards.
So disappointing have been the performances of the Kawasaki riders that the team no longer mentions their times or placings in the press releases distributed at the track. (They’re available in the electronic versions). Teammate John Hopkins was 12th today.
West isn’t long for the MotoGP world. The Australian will be returning to World Supersport in 2009 with the Stiggy Honda team. He’ll be replaced by Marco Melandri on the Kawasaki team.
Close behind West came Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner, the outgoing world champion a mere .004 secs. off his fellow Australian.
Fiat Yamahas were next, Jorge Lorenzo the first Michelin rider after two Bridgestones, with teammate Valentino Rossi, another of the Bridgestone brigade, fourth fastest.
Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was fifth fastest, still bothered by the knee he damaged in his first lap crash at Phillip Island.
JiR Team Scot MotoGP’s Andrea Dovizioso, who’ll be joining Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda team next year, finished just behind in sixth.
San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Shinya Nakano, who will lose his ride to Toni Elias in 2009, was seventh fastest.
Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) was eighth fastest in front of Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden.
Edwards went from fastest on Friday to tenth on Saturday in advance of qualifying.
Saturday Morning Practice:
1. Anthony West (Kawasaki) 2:02.116
2. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 2:02.120
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2:02.231
4. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2:02.368
5. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2:02.309
6. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 2:02.418
7. Shinya Nakano (Honda) 2:02.441
8. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) 2:02.638
9. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2:02.673
10. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2:02.741
11. Randy de Puniet (Honda) 2:02.776
12. John Hopkins (Kawasaki) 2:02.813
13. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2:02.889
14. James Toseland (Yamaha) 2:03.221
15. Toni Elias (Ducati) 2:03.263
