Rossi fastest in Rio practice

Valentino Rossi has gone quickest in free practice for Saturday’s Brazilian MotoGP.

The Italian posted a fastest time of 1:51.043 in Jacarepagua, over half-a-second quicker than championship rival Sete Gibernau. Gibernau posted a 1:51.626, the only other rider to go below the 1:52 barrier. The top three places were an all Honda affair, as Max Biaggi went third quickest.

Loris Capirossi was fourth quickest, followed by Shinya Nakano, Tohru Ukawa, Carlos Checa and Olivier Jacque. Makoto Tamada and Alex Barros finish the top ten.

Ex-WSB stars Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards went thirteenth and fourteenth quickest. British hope Jeremy McWilliams finished the session in 20th, just behind teammate Aoki, while Chris Burns managed a best time of 1:57.237.

1) Rossi 1:51.043. 2) Gibernau 1:51.626. 3) Biaggi 1:52.166. 4) Capirossi 1:52.235. 5) Nakano 1:52.388. 6) Ukawa 1:52.696. 7) Checa 1:52.796. 8) Jacque 1:52.826. 9) Tamada 1:52.937. 10) Barros 1:53.057. 11) Hopkins 1:53.280. 12) Melandri 1:53.500. 13) Bayliss 1:53.532. 14) Edwards 1:53.605. 15) Hayden 1:53.627. 16) Roberts 1:53.809. 17) Haga 1:54.442. 18) McCoy 1:54.613. 19) Aoki 1:54.813. 20) McWilliams 1:54.919. 21) Pitt 1:55.209. 22) Kiyonari 1:55.844. 23) De Gea 1:56.218. 24) Burns 1:57.237.

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