Catalunya MotoGP: Stoner leads Bridgestone charge

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner led a Bridgestone top three to top the timesheets in this morning’s third free practice session in Catalunya.

The 21-year-old logged the first sub 1.43 lap of the weekend to beat fellow Bridgestone riders Randy de Puniet and John Hopkins.

The factory Ducati rider, who goes into tomorrow’s 25-lap Catalunya GP holding a nine-point lead over Valentino Rossi, set a best time of 1.42.562 on the eighth of 28 laps he completed in sunny conditions.

That was a comfortable 0.483s clear of surprise package de Puniet on the factory Kawasaki ZX-RR. The French rider clocked a 1.43.045 after 26 minutes.

Factory Suzuki rider John Hopkins made the early running and found himself holding top spot with a 1.43.105 on just his fourth lap moving him 0.359s clear of Stoner.

The American completed another 22 laps in the session but couldn’t better his time, and he has yet to finish outside the top three in any practice session so far.

Stoner first moved to the top of the timesheets after 18 minutes when he posted a 1.42.976 to move 0.129s clear of Hopkins before his best of 1.42.562 ensured he wouldn’t be bettered for the rest of the session.

Seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi was fourth quickest when he posted a best of 1.43.212 with 20 minutes remaining. That was only good enough to get him  within 0.695s of Stoner’s best time but he finished one place ahead of home favourite Dani Pedrosa.

Pedrosa had only just moved into fourth place two minutes earlier when he posted a best of 1.43.257 when Rossi quickly relegated him back to fifth.

Pedrosa’s best time of 1.43.099 from yesterday morning’s opening free practice session was still good enough for the third best time overall in the three practice sessions.

While de Puniet had a rare success to cheer after a disappointing start to his 2007 campaign, the same can’t be said of his factory Kawasaki team-mate Olivier Jacque.
The former world 250 champion suffered another heavy crash with 11 minutes remaining and was taken away on a stretcher by medical staff.

The Frenchman was only just returning to full fitness after his recent crash in Shanghai. He suffered a serious right arm injury that ruled him out of his home race in Le Mans.

Medical staff reported that Jacque had gone into the gravel trap headfirst and was complaing of neck pains. He was placed in a neck brace and move by ambulance to the circuit’s medical centre where he was to undergo precationary X-rays and has since been taken to Barcelona hospitl for further checks.