Free practice got underway this morning under threatening skies in Estoril for Round #3 of the MotoGP series. Honda dominated the top of the free practice with Marco Simoncelli insisting on staying atop the charts with a time of 1:38.032. He was followed closely by Repsol Honda teammates Stoner and Pedrosa. Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo was 4th on his Factory Yamaha, while Valentino Rossi rounded off the top five of this morning's practice.
The real story of the morning however, was Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista, who put in some consistent and respectable laptimes, following his return to the circuit a mere 42 days after breaking his femur. After completing this mornings free practice session with a time of 1:41:034, Bautista's team confirmed that it is his intention to continue riding for the rest of the weekend.
Rizla Suzuki's GSV-R will feature a new logo in Estoril- "Change and Challenge"- which is used by Suzuki in Asian markets to promote its new range of motorcycle products. While the new logo is meant to engage with the enthusiasm of fans in these regions, Bautista himself certainly has a "Challenge" ahead of him as he recovers and makes a comeback from his serious injury.
Team Bankia Aspar's Nico Terol continued to dominate 125cc action on his Aprillia. With a time of 1:47.746 Terol was over one second faster than French competitor Johann Zarco from the Avant-AirAsia-Ajo team.
Moto2 action was close with team Gresini's Yuki Takahashi leading free practice with a time of 1:42.402. Hot on the heels of Takahashi were another 11 riders all under the 1:43 mark.
The sun is peering through the clouds and the forecast continues to change, here's hoping for sunny skies for the remainder of the weekend.
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