MotoGP – Losail FP1 – Edwards ahead of Stoner and Rossi, HRC behind

Basically, the first free practice session of the MotoGP in Losail reiterated the verdicts on the race pace from the February tests: Yamaha in form, Stoner well placed, Pedrosa in recovery, Hayden in trouble. Easy to say and make obvious comparisons: now things are really serious in Qatar, the 800cc have officially taken part in a test session for the first time, all previous references have been cancelled, the "Grand Prix climate" is a completely different matter What. Maybe, but finding Colin Edwards ahead of everyone with a time of 1'56"665 takes us back a month, when the Texan was the fastest on the track at Losail. FIAT effect? M1 '07 effect, a bike born well which also allows the two-time Superbike champion to give his all and to take away, albeit in a free practice session, the luxury of being ahead of Valentino Rossi, third also behind Casey Stoner who at Losail (counting the 2006 pole position) feels at home.

So good at the blue-white garage, not bad at Ducati (Stoner second, Capirossi fifth), a few more thoughts for the HRC riders. Daniel Pedrosa is 9th at 1" and pennies from Edwards, Hayden even 16th at 2"2. Traditionally the first day of school does not bring good luck to the Repsol Honda team, but immediately seeing the World Champion in difficulty, far behind the leaders despite being the most active rider on the track together with his team-mate (23 laps) is perplexing, especially if let's take into account that here in February he fell twice, essentially losing the last two days.

Luckily it is only the first free practice session of this highly anticipated 2007, which offers Checa an excellent fourth (historically the bikes looked after by Forcada, Honda LCR director, go very well in Losail), Hopkins recovered from his injury in 6th ahead of Melandri and Nakano, with the Ilmor/Yamaha Tech 3 double pair closing the ranking, waiting for the afternoon and further chronometric responses.

Alessio Piana