Rossi tops warmup session on day he could win MotoGP title

The man who could be crowned 2008 MotoGP World Champion in just a matter of hours, Valentino Rossi opened up the Sunday premier class action at Motegi with the fastest time of the warmup session. The Fiat Yamaha rider, who starts from fourth on the grid for the Japanese race, outpaced his rivals in the morning run with a time of 1´47.263.

Lining up alongside Rossi on the second row for the Italian´s date with destiny is Dani Pedrosa, the second quickest man in the warmup. Repsol Honda´s Spanish star was 0.324 down on Rossi´s time, and is one of just two riders who can do anything to stop Rossi lifting his sixth title in Motegi this afternoon.

The other rider capable of spoiling the party for Rossi, 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner was third in the session, a further three-tenths down on the top time of the run. Poleman Jorge Lorenzo and the trio of John Hopkins, Colin Edwards and Shinya Nakano were also within a second of Rossi´s hot lap.

Marco Melandri, Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso completed the top ten, whilst there was a crash between Rizla Suzuki wildcard Kousuke Akiyoshi and San Carlo Honda Gresini´s Alex de Angelis.