Dovizioso fastest at wet Le Mans

From motogp.com

Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso was the fastest MotoGP rider on Friday at the Grand Prix de France as the rain returned at Le Mans and cut short the work that the teams could undertake on the first day.

Under cloudy skies rain began to fall just over halfway through the first hour long premier class practice session, at which point Dovizioso had set the fastest lap with a best effort of 1:36.136.

The second quickest rider in the curtailed practice was Australian former World Champion Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) with a time of 1:36.194 on the eighth of just 10 laps, while in-form home rider Randy de Puniet was just behind the front two.

The 2007 Le Mans race-winner Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) also featured in the top five, both within half a second of Italian youngster Dovizioso.

Fiat Yamaha colleagues Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo were sixth and seventh fastest respectively, at the track where they completed a memorable one-two last year.

Rossi’s compatriot Marco Melandri (Hayate Racing) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) also featured in a top 10 which was rounded off by The Doctor’s former team-mate Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).

After the rain arrived a number of riders went back out on track towards the end of the session on slick tires but they were unable to improve their times.

Despite the precipitation there were no crashes to report and the MotoGP stars will be back in action for another hour-long run on Saturday morning before qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

Mapfre Aspar rider Álvaro Bautista’s best time of 1:39.302 on the penultimate of his 25 laps of Le Mans was enough to make him the number one 250cc attendee at the Grand Prix de France on Friday afternoon.

The 250 session was held on a dry track after the MotoGP practice period. Bautista lapped 0.113 secs. ahead of championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Racing).

On a track which had dried by the end of the first practice session of the weekend at Le Mans, an hour-long 125cc outing, series leader Andrea Iannone (Ongetta Team I.S.P.A) topped the timesheet, as he successfully began his quest to bounce back from his Jerez crash.

The Italian set the pace with a best effort of 1:45.258, laying down his best time on the last of his 22 laps, to put him 0.211 secs. ahead of second quickest participant Julián Simón (Bancaja Aspar).

MotoGP Practice Times

1. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:36.136
2. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1:36.194
3. Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1:36.293
4. Chris VERMEULEN (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1:36.301
5. Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:36.476
6. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1:36.751
7. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1:37.024
8. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1:37.024
9. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1:37.224
10. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:37.269
11. Toni ELIAS (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1:37.270
12. James TOSELAND (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:37.738
13. Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Racing Ducati 1:37.800
14. Sete GIBERNAU (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1:37.875
15. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1:38.032
16. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1:38.323
17. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1:38.639
18. Niccolo CANEPA (ITA) Pramac Racing Ducati 1:39.116