MotoGP – Jerez Free practice 1 – Stoner in front of everyone, Rossi well 3rd with the Ducati

First free practice for the Bwin Spanish Grand Prix also for the MotoGP class riders. Seventeen riders on track, the same as Qatar with the exception of John Hopkins who replaces the injured Alvaro Bautista on the Suzuki. Great battle during the session between the Repsol Honda Team riders Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner who exchanged positions several times. In the end it was the Australian who came out ahead of the Spaniard by just 28 thousandths.

The real surprise (given the condition of his shoulder and his debut in Qatar) was Valentino Rossi who was constantly with the leaders, closing the session in third position with his Ducati Desmosedici GP11. The nine-time world champion seemed much more at ease on a track that he has always loved and the gap to the two Hondas was just over 5 tenths. Excellent performance therefore which gives Rossi and Borgo Panigale fans hope.

Behind the Pesaro rider we find Marco Simoncelli's Team Gresini Honda, 625 thousandths off the top but very close to Rossi; the rider from Coriano precedes the reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo (first Yamaha on the time list), Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda Team) and the American Ben Spies who, however, is far from the leaders, his gap is in fact greater than the second.

Behind the former Team Tech3 rider we find former team-mate Colin Edwards and three Ducatis, respectively those of Hayden, that of the excellent Rookie Karel Abraham and the Spaniard Hector Barbera. Loris Capirossi did badly, second to last (ahead of only John Hopkins' Suzuki) and separated from the top by almost three seconds, an eternity.