Brno MotoGP: Ducati's Casey Stoner in dominant form

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner returned to action this morning in Brno in dominant fashion to set the fastest time in the opening free practice session.

Casey Stoner, who holds a commanding 44-point lead over Valentino Rossi going into Sunday’s Czech Republic GP, finished a massive 0.662s clear of John Hopkins with a best time of 1.58.881.

John Hopkins and Casey Stoner’s factory Ducati team-mate Loris Capirossi were the only two riders who could get within a second of the rampant Aussie, who is bidding for a seventh win of the season in Sunday’s 22-lap race.

Stoner first climbed to the top of the timesheets after just eight minutes when he posted a 2:00.338 on only his third lap. He was the first to break the two-minute barrier when a 1:59.728 clocked after 28 minutes moved him 0.495s ahead of John Hopkins.

American factory Suzuki rider Hopkins had led the session for a while when a 2:00.223 set after just 15 minutes had moved him 0.115s clear of Casey Stoner.

Stoner ended the session as the only rider in the 1.58 bracket as Hopkins finished second fastest with a best of 1:59.543 on his 22nd lap of a 23-lap stint.

That was 0.222s clear of third placed Loris Capirossi, who signed a deal yesterday to replace Hopkins in Suzuki’s factory team for 2008.

Fourth place went to under pressure Italian Valentino Rossi. He logged a 2:00.017 to finish a massive 1.136s adrift of main title rival Casey Stoner.

As well as problems in trying to claw back some of the points-gap on Stoner, he is also facing a £40m tax evasion probe.

Fifth fastest was Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards who posted a 2:00.198, which was 0.030s, clear of fastest Honda rider Dani Pedrosa.

This morning’s session was run in much cooler and cloudier conditions than the searing heat of yesterday.

Brno MotoGP free practice one results:

1 Casey STONER AUS DUCATI 1’58.881
2 John HOPKINS USA SUZUKI 1’59.543
3 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA DUCATI 1’59.765
4 Valentino ROSSI ITA YAMAHA 2’00.017
5 Colin EDWARDS USA YAMAHA 2’00.198
6 Dani PEDROSA SPA HONDA 2’00.228
7 Nicky HAYDEN USA HONDA 2’00.310
8 Chris VERMEULEN AUS SUZUKI 2’00.398
9 Randy DE PUNIET FRA KAWASAKI 2’00.399
10 Toni ELIAS SPA HONDA 2’00.678
11 Carlos CHECA SPA HONDA 2’00.782
12 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA YAMAHA 2’00.895
13 Alex BARROS BRA DUCATI 2’00.988
14 Anthony WEST AUS KAWASAKI 2’01.003
15 Marco MELANDRI ITA HONDA 2’01.318
16 Makoto TAMADA JPN YAMAHA 2’01.433
17 Shinya NAKANO JPN HONDA 2’01.559
18 Ivan SILVA SPA DUCATI 2’03.619
19 Kurtis ROBERTS USA KR212V 2’03.662