The first MotoGP free practice at Phillip Island was dominated by Casey Stoner.
The Repsol Honda rider who could take the championship crown this weekend, started his run for the title by blasting out a stunning 1.
30.
475 on his third lap out and then immediately lowsided out at turn four losing the front of his RC212V, fortunately suffering no consequences.
Stoner would not be able to match his best lap again, but he put in a series of impressive fast laps towards the end of the session that came very close.
Only title rival Jorge Lorenzo managed to come close to the Australian and ended up 0.
269s adrift.
Marco Simoncelli was third and he too suffered a low side crash just minutes after Stoner’s.
SuperSic was the last rider to be within a second from the top of the chart and he was followed by an impressive Colin Edwards in 4th who set his wheels ahead of Andrea Dovizioso who will take his place in Yamaha Tech3 next season.
Dani Pedrosa took sixth after missing the Australian GP for the last two years, while Nicky Hayden took a good 7th with the Ducati GP11.
1 and he was very close to Pedrosa’s lap time.
Ben Spies finished in 8th with Gresini’s Hiroshi Aoyma imediately after him in 9th.
Tenth went to returnee Loris Capirossi who finished ahead of team mate Randy de Puniet and Ducati factory rider Valentino Rossi who just 12th.
MotoGP Phillip Island FP1 results:01- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 1’30.
47502- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
25903- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 0.
47604- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
00505- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 1.
05706- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 1.
09607- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11.
1 – + 1.
18708- Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
34909- Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.
46010- Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
57711- Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
62112- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11.
1 – + 1.
63913- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1.
91814- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.
10815- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 2.
14016- Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 3.
16617- Damian Cudlin – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 3.
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