Brno MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa maintains dominant form

The first day of MotoGP action at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic belonged to Dani Pedrosa after the Spaniard dominated both practice sessions today.

The Repsol Honda was almost a second quicker than the field in this morning’s opening free practice and he was untouchable again this afternoon in the second session.

A best lap of 1.56.454 didn’t match his time of 1.56.328 set this morning but it was still 0.377s faster than factory Honda team-mate Casey Stoner in second.

The gap between the pair had been over half-a-second until a late burst of speed from Stoner put the Australian second. The world championship leader, who holds a 20-point advantage over Jorge Lorenzo going into Sunday’s race, set a best time of 1.56.831. That was 0.4s faster than his best time from this morning.

Marco Simoncelli was third again, the Italian bouncing back from a late crash in the first session to clock a best time of 1.57.136, though that was almost 0.7s adrift of Pedrosa.

Lorenzo, who was fourth fastest this morning, had to settle for fourth again this afternoon. He too took over 0.4s off his best time this afternoon but still finished 0.720s behind compatriot Pedrosa.

Valentino Rossi at least salvaged some Ducati pride with a late charge promoting him to seventh position. The Italian was languishing down in 15th until the closing stages when a lap of 1.57.745 put him just 0.114s behind Ben Spies in sixth.

Rossi was 1.1s faster this afternoon but he was still 1.291s behind Pedrosa.

British rider Cal Crutchlow finished ninth having been as high as sixth at one stage in the second 45-minute session.

The 25-year-old ended with a best time of 1.57.859 to finish just 0.002s behind Alvaro Bautista’s factory Suzuki in eighth.

Crutchlow found himself in a Suzuki sandwich with John Hopkins an impressive 10th, the American finishing just 0.023s behind Bautista.

1. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team, Honda 301.0, 1’56.454 
2. Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda Team, Honda 299.3, 1’56.831, 0.377 / 0.377
3. Marco Simoncelli, San Carlo Honda Gresini, Honda 295.6, 1’57.136, 0.682 / 0.305
4. Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing, Yamaha 296.3, 1’57.174, 0.720 / 0.038
5. Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda Team, Honda 297.5, 1’57.535, 1.081 / 0.361
6. Ben Spies, Yamaha Factory Racing, Yamaha 290.6, 1’57.631, 1.177 / 0.096
7. Valentino Rossi, Ducati Team, Ducati 296.0, 1’57.745, 1.291 / 0.114
8. Alvaro Bautista, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, Suzuki 295.6, 1’57.857, 1.403 / 0.112
9. Cal Crutchlow, Monster Yamaha Tech 3, Yamaha 293.2, 1’57.859, 1.405 / 0.002
10. John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, Suzuki 294.5, 1’57.880, 1.426 / 0.021
11. Hector Barbera, Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP, Ducati 297.9, 1’58.120 1.666 / 0.240
12. Colin Edwards, Monster Yamaha Tech 3, Yamaha 294.0, 1’58.313, 1.859 / 0.193
13. Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing Team, Ducati 292.9, 1’58.454, 2.000 / 0.141
14. Nicky Hayden, Ducati Team, Ducati 292.3, 1’58.568, 2.114 / 0.114
15. Loris Capirossi, Pramac Racing Team, Ducati 294.8, 1’58.573, 2.119 / 0.005
16. Hiroshi Aoyama, San Carlo Honda Gresini, Honda 300.4, 1’58.607, 2.153 / 0.034
17. Karel Abraham, Cardion AB Motoracing, Ducati 293.4, 1’58.999, 2.545 / 0.392
18. Toni Elias, LCR Honda MotoGP, Honda 296.8, 1’59.157, 2.703 / 0.158