Final session taking shape, Rossi again at the forefront

A third of the way through the final night of the Qatar Test and the 17 MotoGP riders are hard at work as they continue their busy schedules to try and ensure their prototypes are prepared in time for the final race at the circuit in just over three weeks.

Yesterday’s timesheet topper Valentino Rossi has been the fastest rider so far with a time of 1’55.860 as he continues work on his Fiat Yamaha M1 machine, with Casey Stoner a fraction over six-hundredths of a second off the Italian’s pace. The Australian of the Ducati Marlboro team experienced a minor problem at the end of yesterday with his rear brake, which appears to be solved as he is again riding strongly – he and Rossi are the only two riders under the 1’56” mark so far.

Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) continues his work on chassis and swingarm modifications and is third fastest so far, with Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) pushing through the pain barrier as he maintains his bid to be a fit as possible for the start of the season.

Slowly edging up the timesheet is Nicky Hayden, and the Ducati Marlboro man is working on fixing the issue that stopped him from registering a fast time in the first session on soft tyres. He also looks to be finding a solution, as fifth fastest with a time of 1’56.561 – already better than his first session – indicates.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) has a target of getting consistency and a good pace and is so far sixth at two-hundredths of a second behind Hayden, whilst Randy De Puniet (LCR Honda) and Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech3) who both performed well in the first session are within a second of the top time.

Dovizioso’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa has lots to do and has found a slight improvement but is still further down the times in ninth, with Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech3) completing the top ten times by 8pm.