MotoGP – Estoril FP3 – Edwards in the lead ahead of Lorenzo and Hayden

Colin Edwards was the fastest in the third free practice session of the MotoGP class on the Estoril circuit, the third round of the 2008 world championship. The Texan rider of Team Yamaha Tech3 stopped the clock at a time of 1'37"598, preceding by just 70 brand mate Jorge Lorenzo by thousandths and compatriot Nicky Hayden by 235 thousandths. Kentucky Kid in turn precedes Valentino Rossi from Pesaro by just 30 thousandths who, despite yesterday's fall, went very fast. Rossi put Jerez de la Frontera winner Dani Pedrosa on a Team Repsol Honda and 2007 SBK champion James Toseland on a Team Tech3 Yamaha behind him.

From these FP3 the competitiveness of the Yamaha is highlighted, be it Michelin or Bridgestone tires (see Valentino Rossi) and that of the official Honda of the Repsol Team; On the other hand, Ducati's actions are downhill, placing Stoner only in eleventh place and Melandri even in last position, even behind the satellite GP8s of Team Alice! If it's not a crisis we're close, the reigning champion is in fact 1"138 off the top, a bit too much even if we expect a burst of pride from the Australian driver in qualifying.

In front of him in these Free Practice3 are the debutant Andrea Dovizioso on the Honda of Team Jir Scot (seventh time for him), the Honda of Randy de Puniet's Team LCR, the Kawasaki of John Hopkins and the Suzuki of compatriot Chris Vermeulen. Twelfth time instead for the first Honda of Team San Carlo Gresini, that of the Japanese Nakano who precedes the Suzuki of Loris Capirossi, the team-mate Alex de Angelis, the Kawasaki of Anthony West and the aforementioned Ducatis of Sylvain Guintoli, Toni Elias and of 'unrecognizable Marco Melandri!