Donington Park MotoGP: Hector Barbera storms 250cc free practice one

Hector Barbera has set the provisionally fastest time of the day, beating rivals Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista to the top spot in the first practice session for the 250 class.

Barbera set a 1.32.788 lap on his Team Toth Aprilia, holding off in-form 250 man Marco Simoncelli who has scored maximum points at the last two rounds at Mugello and Catalunya a fortnight ago.

Barbera set the benchmark just under the half-way point in the session, but couldn’t be matched in the time remaining.

Simoncelli came closest with a 1.32.965 and was the only other rider with Barbera to drop below the 1.33 mark.

Bautista followed the Metis Gilera rider and lead a freight train of Aprilia machines ahead of Alex Debon and Thomas Luthi before the first non-Italian machine machine of Hiroshi Aoyama on the KTM in 6th.

Eugene Laverty used his track knowledge to get his name amongst the works riders in the opening stages of the session, but dropped back as the practice went on.

Laverty set his fastest time of the morning session when the chequered flag came out, putting him 16th overall, two seconds back from Barbera’s time.

Toby Markham, the sole British wildcard in the 250 class this weekend, set the 23rd fastest time out of 24 entries on his TZ250 Yamaha.

Donington Park MotoGP 250 free practice one results:

1. Hector BARBERA Team Toth Aprilia 1’32.788
2. Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera + 0.177
3. Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team + 0.342
4. Alex DEBON Lotus Aprilia + 0.384
5. Thomas LUTHI Emmi – Caffe Latte + 0.831
6. Hiroshi AOYAMA Red Bull KTM 250 + 0.885
7. Aleix ESPARGARO Lotus Aprilia + 0.928
8. Julian SIMON Repsol KTM 250cc + 0.998
9. Mattia PASINI Polaris World + 1.212
10. Mika KALLIO Red Bull KTM 250 + 1.264
11. Yuki TAKAHASHI JiR Team Scot 250 + 1.342
12. Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing + 1.416
13. Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly – CP + 1.742
14. Hector FAUBEL Mapfre Aspar Team + 1.797
15. Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera + 1.840
16. Eugene LAVERTY Blusens Aprilia + 2.151

Check out MCN on Wednesday to get your hands on a British MotoGP special issue, with 76 pages designated to the Donington Park bonanza, out Wednesday, June 25, 2008.