As expected it was Casey Stoner who dominated the first free practice under the lights in Qatar.
The Marlboro Ducati rider continued where he left off on the final day of pre-season test dominating almost the entire session with a best lap of 1.
55.
500.
Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo in second down a big 0.
586s.
from Stoner and pipping second place from Valentino Rossi by just 0.
002s and concluding in the final minutes of the session with a crash.
Rossi had led the early minutes of the session, but he ended up third.
Andrea Dovizioso continues to show confidence in his Repsol Honda by posting the fourth best time, 1.
198sec behind Stoner and finishing ahead of Nicky Hayden by just 0.
095s.
Ben Spies was impressive as ever and finished in fifth.
The Texas Terror finished his first session just 0.
025s behind Hayden with a best lap of 1.
56.
818.
Alvaro Bautista on Suzuki GSV-R posted a best time of 1.
56.
998 to take seventh and almost four tenths faster than team mate Loris Capirossi who in Sunday’s race will be making his record-breaking 300th Grand Prix appearance.
Capirossi crashed more than half way during the session that left the veteran rider down in 13th.
LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet took eighth and Mika Kallio on the Pramac Ducati and Aspar Ducati’s Hector Barbera completed the top ten.
Dani Pedrosa continues to have problems adjusting to his Ohlins suspension and setting up his RC212V finished 11th with a best time of 1.
57.
133.
Colin Edwards took 12thMarco Simoncelli was 14th finishing ahead of Aleix Espargaro and his team-mate Marco Melandri (16th) and rookie Hiroshi Aoyama who wast last on the charts.
Qatar Free Practice Results:1 Casey STONER 1′55.
5002 Jorge LORENZO 1′56.
0263 Valentino ROSSI 1′56.
0284 Andrea DOVIZIOSO 1′56.
6985 Nicky HAYDEN 1′56.
7936 Ben SPIES 1′56.
8187 Alvaro BAUTISTA 1′56.
9988 Randy DE PUNIET 1′57.
0319 Mika KALLIO 1′57.
05910 Hector BARBERA 1′57.
10511 Dani PEDROSA 1′57.
13312 Colin EDWARDS 1′57.
16713 Loris CAPIROSSI 1′57.
36314 Marco SIMONCELLI 1′57.
53515 Aleix ESPARGARO 1′57.
60516 Marco MELANDRI 1′58.
03517 Hiroshi AOYAMA 1′58.
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