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Well Boys & Gals it looks like it going to be one hell of a weekend so here's some info on how todays qualifying went.
A back-and-forth battle between the top two MotoGP riders of the moment continued in Brno on Friday, as Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner took turns in leading the way in the first free practice sessions for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky.
Having been usurped in the closing stages of the morning run by his Italian rival, it was Stoner who ended the day as the premier class´ leading man, recording a fastest lap of 1´57.231 and edging out Rossi by 0.179. The winner and poleman of the 2007 Czech race has been the dominant force in practice and qualifying runs since late June, and proved that he hadn´t missed a beat over the summer break. He ran off track shortly after clocking his quickest time of the day, but otherwise had little problem in navigating the Brno track onboard his Ducati Desmosedici GP8.
Catching up with his countryman and his former teammate at the termination of the session, 2006 racewinner Loris Capirossi had his first experience of the circuit onboard Rizla Suzuki machinery. The Italian veteran was half a second down on second placed Rossi on the combined timesheet.
Entrusted with a factory spec Honda RC212V from this weekend until the end of the season, San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano edged out his teammate on the standard bike, Alex de Angelis, in the final moments of the session. The satellite team duo were separated by just 0.036, although Nakano had been very happy with the handling of his new machine.
Chris Vermeulen completed an all-Bridgestone top six, with the only Michelin rider featuring in the top ten on day one being Tech 3 Yamaha´s seventh-placed Colin Edwards. Last year´s runner-up at Brno, John Hopkins, was eighth despite a pair of crashes on his return to action from a leg fracture, whilst Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli rounded off the fastest ten riders of the day onboard their satellite Ducati bikes.
There were crashes in the session for De Angelis, LCR Honda´s Randy de Puniet and second Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland, without consequences, whilst bigger difficulties came for Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa. Third in the World Championship standings, the Spaniard was once again feeling the after-effects of his Sachsenring crash and hand injuries, finishing sixteenth on the opening timed runs at Brno.
FREE PRACTISE No 1
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.782 293.478
2 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.911 295.081 0.129
3 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.021 290.010 1.239
4 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.134 283.762 1.352
5 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'59.220 288.461 1.438
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.400 287.386 1.618
7 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'59.756 295.243 1.974
8 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.770 290.322 1.988
9 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'59.965 293.239 2.183
10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'00.082 292.365 2.300
11 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 2'00.083 294.840 2.301
12 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 2'00.429 287.923 2.647
13 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2'00.447 293.000 2.665
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 2'00.496 283.986 2.714
15 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 2'01.074 292.524 3.292
16 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'01.128 289.855 3.346
17 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'01.231 296.215 3.449
FREE PRACTISE No 2
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.231 294.197
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.410 292.445 0.179
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.000 290.322 0.769
4 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.228 290.010 0.997
5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.264 285.789 1.033
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.462 286.548 1.231
7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'58.672 292.682 1.441
8 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'58.830 288.615 1.599
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'58.881 294.759 1.650
10 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 1'58.923 294.197 1.692
11 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'58.977 292.286 1.746
12 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 1'59.094 289.156 1.863
13 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'59.328 289.855 2.097
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'59.405 284.135 2.174
15 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.943 292.921 2.712
16 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'00.540 295.566 3.309
17 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'00.621 288.692 3.3
So at this stage there's nothing in it between the 2 rivals and are the 2 guys setting the pace at the moment. Great to see Vermeulen up there even though he's over a second of the pace but it's early days so we will have to wait and see what tomorrow will bring.
A back-and-forth battle between the top two MotoGP riders of the moment continued in Brno on Friday, as Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner took turns in leading the way in the first free practice sessions for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky.
Having been usurped in the closing stages of the morning run by his Italian rival, it was Stoner who ended the day as the premier class´ leading man, recording a fastest lap of 1´57.231 and edging out Rossi by 0.179. The winner and poleman of the 2007 Czech race has been the dominant force in practice and qualifying runs since late June, and proved that he hadn´t missed a beat over the summer break. He ran off track shortly after clocking his quickest time of the day, but otherwise had little problem in navigating the Brno track onboard his Ducati Desmosedici GP8.
Catching up with his countryman and his former teammate at the termination of the session, 2006 racewinner Loris Capirossi had his first experience of the circuit onboard Rizla Suzuki machinery. The Italian veteran was half a second down on second placed Rossi on the combined timesheet.
Entrusted with a factory spec Honda RC212V from this weekend until the end of the season, San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Shinya Nakano edged out his teammate on the standard bike, Alex de Angelis, in the final moments of the session. The satellite team duo were separated by just 0.036, although Nakano had been very happy with the handling of his new machine.
Chris Vermeulen completed an all-Bridgestone top six, with the only Michelin rider featuring in the top ten on day one being Tech 3 Yamaha´s seventh-placed Colin Edwards. Last year´s runner-up at Brno, John Hopkins, was eighth despite a pair of crashes on his return to action from a leg fracture, whilst Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli rounded off the fastest ten riders of the day onboard their satellite Ducati bikes.
There were crashes in the session for De Angelis, LCR Honda´s Randy de Puniet and second Tech 3 Yamaha rider James Toseland, without consequences, whilst bigger difficulties came for Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa. Third in the World Championship standings, the Spaniard was once again feeling the after-effects of his Sachsenring crash and hand injuries, finishing sixteenth on the opening timed runs at Brno.
FREE PRACTISE No 1
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.782 293.478
2 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.911 295.081 0.129
3 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.021 290.010 1.239
4 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'59.134 283.762 1.352
5 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'59.220 288.461 1.438
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.400 287.386 1.618
7 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'59.756 295.243 1.974
8 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'59.770 290.322 1.988
9 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'59.965 293.239 2.183
10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 2'00.082 292.365 2.300
11 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 2'00.083 294.840 2.301
12 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 2'00.429 287.923 2.647
13 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 2'00.447 293.000 2.665
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 2'00.496 283.986 2.714
15 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 2'01.074 292.524 3.292
16 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'01.128 289.855 3.346
17 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'01.231 296.215 3.449
FREE PRACTISE No 2
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'57.231 294.197
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'57.410 292.445 0.179
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.000 290.322 0.769
4 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.228 290.010 0.997
5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'58.264 285.789 1.033
6 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'58.462 286.548 1.231
7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'58.672 292.682 1.441
8 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'58.830 288.615 1.599
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'58.881 294.759 1.650
10 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 1'58.923 294.197 1.692
11 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'58.977 292.286 1.746
12 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 1'59.094 289.156 1.863
13 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'59.328 289.855 2.097
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'59.405 284.135 2.174
15 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'59.943 292.921 2.712
16 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 2'00.540 295.566 3.309
17 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 2'00.621 288.692 3.3
So at this stage there's nothing in it between the 2 rivals and are the 2 guys setting the pace at the moment. Great to see Vermeulen up there even though he's over a second of the pace but it's early days so we will have to wait and see what tomorrow will bring.