Valencia MotoGP: Qualifying tyre helps Sylvain Guintoli top Valencia practice

A Dunlop qualifying tyre helped French rider Sylvain Guintoli end free practice for tomorrow’s Valencia MotoGP clash with the fastest time.

With Dunlop not restricted by the 31-tyre limit regulation in 2007, Guintoli used a soft qualifying tyre to post a best time of 1.32.670 in the closing seconds of the third and final practice session.

Guintoli, who was second quickest yesterday after using qualifying tyres to set his fastest time, was 0.462s faster than Australian Casey Stoner, who was again quickest on race rubber.

Guintoli’s best time beat Stoner’s fastest from yesterday by 0.3s. Stoner was again the man to beat on race tyres and he will start tomorrow’s race red-hot favourite to end his superb campaign with an 11th victory.

Stoner posted a best time of 1.33.132 this morning, which was 0.2s slower than his best yesterday as he edged out Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa. The factory Ducati rider set his best time with 24 minutes of the session remaining, having typically assumed control from the early stages.

The Spaniard clocked a best time of 1.33.236 to finish just 0.104s behind Stoner on Michelin’s race tyres. Pedrosa set his best time with seven minutes remaining though he was unable to go any faster than his best of yesterday.

Fourth quickest was Brazilian veteran Alex Barros, who is competing in his final MotoGP race tomorrow. The D’Antin Ducati rider posted a best of 1.33.239 with 27 minutes gone. That was his best time of the weekend so far.

Valentino Rossi’s problems continued as he was only 11th fastest this morning and 11th overall in practice. He clocked his best time of the weekend this morning with a 1.33.580, but that was still over 0.7s adrift of Casey Stoner on overall times.
British rider Chaz Davies braved the pain of a broken bone in his left hand and a painful back injury to finish 18th quickest. He set a best time of 1.34.960.
Spaniard Carlos Checa missed this morning’s session having spent the night in a Valencia hospital after complaining of a stomach problem yesterday evening. He underwent blood tests but has been discharged this morning and is planning to ride in this afternoon’s qualifying session.