Buzzin MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa - Donington Park 2008

As the 125cc set off for the practice session this morning, it was Esteve Rabat on the Blusens Aprilia that took the top spot, when after only 5 minutes fron the start of the session, the heavens opened sending bikes and riders rushing back to their pit garages.

After 20 minutes, the teams ventured back onto the track but it remained waterlogged for the remainder of the session and the time set by Rabat earlier held the top spot.

Many of the riders barely had time to test into today’s free practice session and will be praying for better weather conditions for qualifying tomorrow.

The MotoGP session started in full wet conditions today following on from the 125cc class, however, by midway of the session, the sun came out rapidly drying the track while the riders remained on wet tyres.

It was Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda that snatched the top spot in the Friday free practice session on his final flying lap at the Donington British MotoGP today.

Casey Stoner on the Marlboro Ducati, looked safe at the top slot until Pedrosa’s flying lap left him down in second place after running for only 16 laps of the circuit.

Third fastest was championship leader Valentino Rossi on the Fiat Yamaha ahead of the second Repsol Honda ridden by Andrea Dovisioso and Rossi’s team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in fifth.

Marco Melandri on the Hayate Racing Team bike, was in sixth followed by an impressive Mika Kallio on the Pramac Racing Ducati in seventh and hoping for better luck this weekend.

Colin Edwards on the Monster Tech3 Yahamah, Toni Elias on the San Carlo Honda Gresini and Nicky Hayden on the second Marlboro Ducati, finished in eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.

James Toseland on the second Monster Tech3 Yamaha, finished the day in twelfth position after running out of fuel towards the end of the session and walking back to the pits.

The 250cc riders had a dry track for their free practice session with Alex Debon on the Aeropuerto Castello Blusens Aprilia, setting the fastest time of the day.

The World Championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama on the Scot Racing Team Honda, finished in second place with the Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista on the Mapfre Aspar Team bike in third.  Baustista claimed his spot on his spare bike after crashing out of the session midway through.

Marco Simoncelli on the Metis Gilera was in fourth followed by Lukas Pesek on the Auto Kelly machine in fifth and Mike De Meglio on the second Mapfre Aspar Team bike in sixth.

Thomas Luthi on the Caffe Latte was in seventh, Hector Barbera on the Pepe World Team bike in eighth, Karel Abraham on the Cardion AB Motoracing bike in ninth and Mattia Pasini on the Team Toth Aprilia in tenth.

There was a special rider on track today in the 250cc class, Ralf Waldmann aboard the Viessmann Kiefer Aprilia, at the age of 43.  Waldmann came runner-up twice in the 250cc World Championships of 1996 and 1997, and twice it was Biaggi that beat him.  Walmann finished in eighteenth place out of twenty-eight riders in today’s session.