Pedrosa at the Helm of Misano Run; Rivals Eager to Earn Win
Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa has topped the free practice session at the MotoGP FP1 Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini in Italy. Beating team-mate Andrea Dovizioso by six-tenths of a second with a best time of 1 minute and 34.772 seconds, the 24 year-old was the only rider to score a time under 1min 25s.
Current Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo failed to hit the fastest mark and instead came third with a best time of 1'35.444s, followed by team-mate Valentino Rossi of Fiat Yamaha at 1'35.539s. Reigning champion Rossi, seeking to seal another victory in his native Italy, acknowledges that he will have to pull out a few stops to grab a win at Misano. “It's my home race and it's near my house so it's always very special to race there, in front of all of my fans,” he explained, according to www.motogp.com. “I have won there the last two years but this year we come in slightly different circumstances. Still, we will be trying our hardest and I really hope I can give the fans a good show!”
Indeed, Rossi’s performance will be an eagerly awaited one by fans and critics alike, while rival Nicky Hayden of Ducati will be satisfied just to finish the race, given the streak of bad luck he has suffered in recent years at the circuit. Yet with the potential to round off the season in the top five, Hayden will be eager to rack up the points, while Loris Capirossi hopes to add another podium finish to his 99.
Pressing personal goals aside, defying prolific Pedrosa’s remarkable speed will be a feat that all drivers will be focused on this weekend, as the 250cc world champion shows signs of getting even better.
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