Edwards leads Qatar after day two

Colin Edwards maintained his dominant Doha form by topping the IRTA test timesheets for the second successive day in Qatar.

The American’s best time of 1.56.296 set this morning was unbeaten as the factory Yamaha rider finished 0.3s clear of team-mate Valentino Rossi.

Edwards was unable to better his blistering time this afternoon as wind speed picked up from the surrounding barren desert landscape.

But his fastest lap of the day was a massive 1.1s faster than Rossi’s 2006 990cc lap record.

The double World Superbike champion was just 0.2.s slower this afternoon but that still made him fastest in this afternoon’s three-hour session, with Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa second quickest ahead of Carlos Checa.

Checa ended the day fourth overall while Pedrosa was third behind former world champion Rossi.

“We are just working and plodding a long. I got to keep my feet on the ground but things are going well,” said Edwards, who reeled off six sub 1.57 laps today.

Pedrosa’s best of 1.56.712 was 0.2s faster than he managed this morning as the triple world champion begin to show ominous signs that he is edging closer to the front.

The Spaniard was only 10th quickest yesterday but shed 0.8s off his best lap from day one, and tomorrow he is planning to run his first full race simulation of the winter. 

He ran a 13-lap stint this morning and reeled off a series of low 1.57 laps