Pedrosa ups pace to head MotoGP morning session

Dani Pedrosa kept up his pace in Saturday morning’s practice session for the British Grand Prix, racking up the fastest MotoGP time for the second successive run-out at Donington Park. The 2006 racewinner at the Midlands circuit was under two-tenths quicker than nearest rival Jorge Lorenzo courtesy of an exceedingly quick late lap.

Lorenzo and Pedrosa engaged in a brief shootout on a dry track, at one point both level at the head of the timesheet with exactly the same time. It took a further lap from Pedrosa to distance the Spanish pair.

A crash three minutes in at Melbourne gave Casey Stoner something to think about early on, but the Ducati Marlboro rider appeared unfazed as he rejoined the action soon after. There was no repeat of the low speed tumble en route to his third place finish on the session’s results board.

Completing the top quartet of the class’ ‘big four’, Valentino Rossi was just behind and still under half a second slower than Pedrosa. Colin Edwards, Toni Elías, Andrea Dovizioso, Marco Melandri, Randy de Puniet and Mika Kallio completed the top ten.