Estoril MotoGP: Casey Stoner fastest as Valentino Rossi and Michelin fight back

MotoGP world championship leader Casey Stoner topped the timesheets in this morning’s opening free practice session in Estoril, fending off an improved challenge from Valentino Rossi and Michelin.

Casey Stoner’s best lap of 1.38.105 set in the closing stages of the session saw him beat Valentino Rossi to top spot by 0.312s. But new front and rear Michelin tyres which Italian Rossi recently tested in Misano have made a clear step in performance as he was able to lap consistently in the top two.

Valentino Rossi is desperately trying to delay the inevitable by prolonging the world championship race beyond this weekend’s Estoril MotoGP race.

If Aussie Casey Stoner scores 15-points more than Valentino Rossi on Sunday then he will become the first Ducati rider to win the premier class crown.

And it looked ominous when just eight minutes into the session Stoner roared to the top of the timesheets. But only 11 minutes had elapsed when it was evident Rossi and Michelin would pose a more competitive threat than in the last four races when he took top spot with a 1.39.478.

He then posted a 1.39.232 on his next lap and a 1.38.895 clocked after 14 minutes moved him a massive 0.752s clear of 2006 Estoril MotoGP winner Toni Elias.

Casey Stoner slashed the deficit to 0.399s when he logged a 1.39.294 after 23 minutes before Rossi responded to set a 1.38.817 to move 0.477s clear.

Three minutes later Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi then clocked a 1.38.710 to jump 0.584s ahead of Stoner before the 21-year-old assumed control with 24 minutes remaining.

Once he’d posted a 1.38.402 he was never bettered and he ended the session with a 1.38.105. Rossi closed with a 1.38.417 which saw him edge out factory Kawasaki rider Randy de Puniet into third place.

The French rider, who came in for scathing criticism after his second corner blunder in Misano wiped out Repsol Honda duo Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa, logged a best time of 1.38.676.

Underlining Michelin’s improvement was the fact Colin Edwards claimed the fourth best time. The American posted a best of 1.38.677 to finish 0.572s behind Casey Stoner.

Colin Edwards had been as high as third with just three minutes remaining before Randy de Puniet’s late surge.

Carlos Checa registered the fifth best time with the veteran Spaniard clocking a 1.38.995. He too had been in the top three for a period but he escaped injury when he crashed his LCR Honda at the first corner in the closing stages.

Factory Honda duo Pedrosa and reigning world champion Nicky Hayden were seventh and eighth respectively, with Hayden over a second off Stoner’s pace.

In-form Aussie Chris Vermeulen had a disappointing start. The factory Suzuki rider has finished second in two of the last three races to put him firmly in the hunt for a top three placing in the world championship.

Only Casey Stoner has scored more points than Vermeulen in the last six races but he was down in 13th place this morning.

His best time of 1.39.511 was a massive 1.406s adrift of Stoner, while Rizla Suzuki team-mate John Hopkins finished sixth fastest.

Estoril MotoGP free practice one results:

1 Casey STONER AUS DUCATI 1’38.105
2 Valentino ROSSI ITA YAMAHA 1’38.417
3 Randy DE PUNIET FRA KAWASAKI 1’38.676
4 Colin EDWARDS USA YAMAHA 1’38.677
5 Carlos CHECA SPA HONDA 1’38.995
6 John HOPKINS USA SUZUKI 1’39.036
7 Dani PEDROSA SPA HONDA 1’39.048
8 Nicky HAYDEN USA HONDA 1’39.142
9 Shinya NAKANO JPN HONDA 1’39.143
10 Marco MELANDRI ITA HONDA 1’39.288
11 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA DUCATI 1’39.446
12 Makoto TAMADA JPN YAMAHA 1’39.461
13 Chris VERMEULEN AUS SUZUKI 1’39.511
14 Toni ELIAS SPA HONDA 1’39.641
15 Anthony WEST AUS KAWASAKI 1’39.817
16 Alex HOFMANN GER DUCATI 1’39.827
17 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA YAMAHA 1’39.928
18 Alex BARROS BRA DUCATI 1’40.110
19 Kurtis ROBERTS USA KR212V 1’43.011