Jorge Lorenzo, winner here last year before going on to clinch the MotoGP world title, was quickest in US Grand Prix practice on Friday to throw down the gauntlet to championship leader Casey Stoner.
While Australian Stoner posted the third fastest time after setting the pace at Laguna Seca in the morning, Spaniard Lorenzo eclipsed his rival with a sizzling display on his Yamaha on a sun-baked, but breezy afternoon.
The 24-year-old from Palma, who is bidding for his third win this season, completed 24 laps on the twisting, technically challenging circuit with a best time of one minute, 22.056 seconds.
Photo: EPA
Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, fresh from victory at last week’s German Grand Prix, was next best on one minute, 22.197 seconds, with Honda’s Stoner, champion here in 2007, third on 1:22.231.
Italian Andrea Dovizioso, also riding a Honda, was fourth on the timesheets with 1:22.537.
Lorenzo trails Stoner by 15 points in the overall standings with nine races left, the Australian having been in scintillating form this season with four wins and eight podiums in the first nine races.
However, Lorenzo made up some ground on Stoner when he snatched second place for Yamaha at last week’s German MotoGP, where the pacesetting Australian had to settle for third.
Stoner, the 2007 MotoGP world champion who has finished on the podium in his last seven races, can be expected to flourish once again today at one of his favorite venues.
Stoner was not entirely happy, though, with his Honda in Friday’s practice.
“We’ve been trying all day to get a slightly different balance with the bike to get the tires working differently, but we’re struggling to get the feeling that we want and that we’ve had in the past,” he said. “So we have some work to do tonight and will continue in the morning to get prepared for qualifying.”
Fellow Honda rider Pedrosa was also battling to get his bike race-ready for today.
“We made some changes on the bike and tried the race tire, looking to set up the bike to absorb the bumps, of which there are many on this track, and they especially affect the front,” the 2009 US Grand Prix champion said. “The grip was a little poor today and it was also very windy out there, so we haven’t yet found the perfect ride.”
“Perhaps track conditions were not perfect, so we are hoping to keep improving tomorrow,” said the Spaniard, who sealed his return from injury by winning the German Grand Prix.
Pedrosa broke his collarbone in a collision with Italian Marco Simoncelli at the French Grand Prix in May and only came back at this month’s Italian round.
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