Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo has led the opening practice session ahead of this weekend’s Japanese MotoGP at the Motegi Twin Ring. The Yamaha rider set the pace from title rival Dani Pedrosa by one tenth of a second, with Andrea Dovizioso third and the returning Casey Stoner fourth for Honda.
Lorenzo led the way with a best effort of 1:46.558, with Pedrosa having markedly improved his own time in the last knockings of the session. Tech 3 demonstrated more promising speed, with Cal Crutchlow proving this in sixth position.
The much-awaited return of Stoner saw the Australian miss the top spot by eight tenths of a second, completing 12 laps as he fully assessed his condition. However his practice time was compromised by a problem just two corners after leaving the pits; he rejoined on his spare bike and continued until the end of the period.
2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden managed seventh place for Ducati, despite riding with a fractured hand after his accident in Aragón, while team-mate Valentino Rossi rounded out the top ten. In 14th, Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró kept up his good form to lead the way for CRT honours despite suffering a fall early doors.
Second practice starts at 2:10pm local time (BST +8)
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  J. Lorenzo | Yamaha | 01:46.558 | 18 |
| 2. | D. Pedrosa | Repsol Honda | 01:46.699 | 19 |
| 3. | A. Dovizioso | Tech 3 | 01:46.919 | 17 |
| 4. | C. Stoner | Repsol Honda | 01:47.316 | 12 |
| 5. | B. Spies | Yamaha | 01:47.328 | 20 |
| 6. | C. Crutchlow | Tech 3 | 01:47.366 | 18 |
| 7. | N. Hayden | Ducati | 01:47.551 | 18 |
| 8. | S. Bradl | LCR Honda | 01:47.561 | 19 |
| 9. | A. Bautista | Gresini | 01:47.637 | 16 |
| 10. | V. Rossi | Ducati | 01:47.786 | 19 |
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