Stoner keeps his edge in Sunday session

Sunday, 11 April 2010

The Australian rider heads into the opening race of the season in Qatar having been fastest in both practice sessions, qualifying, and now the warm-up.

Casey Stoner’s strength at the Losail International Circuit was never in doubt coming into the opening round of the 2010 season at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar this weekend, but the Ducati Marlboro rider underlined it once more by going quickest in the warm-up.

The Australian’s lap time of 1’55.530 was just over half a second off that which secured him pole position for this evening’s race, but still placed a gap of 0.438s between himself and World Champion Valentino Rossi who was second quickest in the warm-up. The Italian’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo completed the top three, to replicate how the front row of the grid will line up.

Nicky Hayden was fourth quickest on the second factory Ducati, with Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech3) giving his confidence a boost with the fifth fastest lap. Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda), who heads the second row of the grid, completed the top six in the warm-up.

Repsol Honda team-mates Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa, Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) completed the top ten.

Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing) had a run-off that cut short his warm-up and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) also went down late on as both riders experienced their second falls of the weekend, following crashes in qualifying.

The Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar MotoGP race is due to commence at 11pm local time.