Warm and sunny Tuscan weather on the newly asphalted Mugello greeted the MotoGP riders for FP1 practice and the highly controversial Marco Simoncelli took the lead again in this first session.
The Gresini rider put in a final fast lap of 1′48.
987 to pip Casey Stoner who lead most of the practice, by just 0.
040s.
Simoncelli who still has to conclude a podium position this season despite his raw speed, clocked in under Dani Pedrosa’s last year’s lap record and Valentino Rossi’s 2008 pole record (before the single tire rule).
Following Simoncelli and Stoner was Andrea Dovizioso who got his best time with a tow from his Australian team mate and making it a Honda 1-2-3.
Jorge Lorenzo was fourth followed by Assen GP winner and team mate Ben Spies with satellite Yamaha M1 rider Colin Edwards taking the sixth spot.
Dani Pedrosa after missing three GP races after his broken collarbone, returned to grab the seventh spot (1.
117s off pace) with 19 laps to his name.
Nicky Hayden took eighth, while Ducati team mate Valentino Rossi’s start to his home weekend went badly.
His GP11.
1 had a mechanical failure and he had to park it trackside when he was in running 5th and went back to pick up his second bike and that too also had a technical issue and finished in 13th.
Apparently both GP11.
1s had electronic or electrical issues.
Completing the top ten was Hiroshi Aoyama who returned to his Gresini team after his replacement stint for Dani Pedrosa at Assen and Alvaro Bautista who was 1.
671s from the top of the chart.
MotoGP Mugello FP1 results:1 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:48.
9872 27 Casey STONER AUS Repsol Honda Team 1:49.
0273 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team 1:49.
0884 1 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing 1:49.
2515 11 Ben SPIES USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1:49.
3646 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1:49.
8107 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team 1:50.
1048 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team 1:50.
2039 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1:50.
62910 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1:50.
65811 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1:50.
68312 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Pramac Racing Team 1:50.
72913 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Ducati Team 1:50.
78014 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1:51.
15315 24 Toni ELIAS SPA LCR Honda MotoGP 1:51.
86816 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1:51.
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