Sepang will look into the safety of the Malaysian grand prix venue following Sunday’s death of MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli.
The Italian, whose helmet came off during the incident, died in Malaysia after he partially fell from his Honda and was struck from behind by rivals Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards.

Sepang, built ahead of its 1999 debut, also hosts F1′s annual Malaysian round.

Circuit chairman Mokhzani Mahathir told AFP it is a “safe track”.

“It is a sad and unfortunate racing accident but the circuit is designed to the highest safety levels,” he said.

“(The) accident was beyond anybody’s control or expectation.”

He added however that officials will look into whether safety can be improved at Sepang.

“We will see from it (the investigation) if there is anything we could have done differently,” said Mokhzani.

Also referring to Dan Wheldon’s recent death, Force India driver Adrian Sutil told reporters in India on Monday that “everybody knows” MotoGP and Indycar are more dangerous than F1.

“I can say that formula one is pretty safe and secure,” said the German.

The usual problem qualifying. Throughout the season, Valentino Rossi has encountered more problems than usual in “Time Attack” and are found today in Sepang back to earth for a slip. Shared with the second Ducati Desmosedici GP11.1 available, 9 times World Champion has remedied a place in the third row with reference to the 9 th fastest time: better than yesterday, but the problems are always the same …

” Compared to yesterday, today went a little better , “admitted Rossi. ” The main problem that has ruined our qualifications is always the same fall. The other dynamic is the same slide, we need to understand what leads to this error because it causes us to lose precious time.

After the fall are shared with the second bike with which I had the same feeling, but I managed to get a place on the third row. In the first areas where there are more challenging corners that we lose less than in T4, where, just there, leave 6 of the 9 / 10 than their opponents. We lose a lot out of the two hairpins, we need to understand why.

Thinking about our race pace has improved, but problems remain the choice of tires, everything will depend on the weather. No doubt it will be a tough race, difficult, but we did better than yesterday managed to make some progress . “

Fighting on the edge for winning the pole position at Brno Automotodrom Returning from the (short) summer break, the main players in the top class were found encased in comparison to a handful of milliseconds: 113 to be exact, enough to Dani Pedrosa to mock agitated in a final session, the reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo. At the first pole position of the season (strange to say for a single lap specialist like him well in his career achieved 36 pole, just half in the top class), Pedrosa has stopped the clock sull’1’56 “591 without the stress’ unapproachable step-by-race shown yesterday.

The three-time world champion, already victorious in Brno 125cc (2003) and 250 (2005) with three podium finishes to the Masaryk Circuit in five editions of the Grand Prix of Republic of MotoGP, the reference is still in prospect for tomorrow’s race ( off as usual at 14:00) which will start in the front row alongside, as well as Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, also from the third to 0 “269 trying to fix those problems yesterday rediscounted riding his factory Honda RC212V.

With the trio used to monopolize the front row and podium finishes this season, there is little room for Ben Spies, fourth and not the best physical condition, but still ahead of Marco Simoncelli (5 °) and Valentino Rossi , who with a real “twist” at the end managed to get on the second row with the sixth fastest time by filing the gap to 7 tithing, best qualifying this season and his adventure with Ducati. There is no room for any kind of illusions, because the situation remains problematic to the red boxes: no way, but they show some small signs of recovery over a single lap at least as evidenced by the 9 th lap Nicky Hayden , over the weekend forced to navigate in the rear with the “old” GP11 (the “Step 1″ will try it until Monday in the post-race test day).

Among the disappointed of these tests include Andrea Dovizioso, 7 °, as Loris Capirossi that goes beyond the 16 th performance in front of Karel Abraham, who fell at the end of the session, in two separate occasions inadvertently emulated even by Randy De Puniet and Cal Crutchlow. Saturday to forget for Suzuki with Alvaro Bautista Friday 14 ° after a convincing KO following the flight this morning instead of John Hopkins : a broken finger on his right hand, farewell weekend action with a view to avoid compromising the title race in the British Superbike.

MotoGP World Championship 2011
Brno Qualifying Standings

01 – Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 1’56 .591
02 – Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0113
03 – Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0269 +
04 – Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0587 +
05 – Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 0760 +
06 – Valentino Rossi – Team Ducati – Ducati Desmosedici GP11.1 – + 0776
07 – Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0851 +
08 – Colin Edwards – Tech 3 Yamaha Monster – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1085
09 – Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1130 +
10 – Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1193
11 – Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1206
12 – Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 1654 +
13 – Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1682 +
14 – Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki – Suzuki GSV-R – 1683 +
15 – Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 2298 +
16 – Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 2347 +
17 – Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 2355 +

Twenty minutes at the end of formal qualifications, the classical cloud peeps the Mugello International Circuit track wet enough not to offer pilots the opportunity to improve and give the assault on the pole. He was ahead of its time, its own way, Casey Stoner : 1’48 “034, a new lap record (the best joke 2008 pole from Valentino Rossi, 1’48″ 130) which is the fifth pole position in eight races, 27 ° MotoGP, MotoGP 31 ° in his career.

With this “Tempone” the leader of the world has not experienced opponents: the ranking sliding Ben Spies, a veteran of the first statement in MotoGP at Mugello, pay 4 / 10. Not least Marco Simoncelli , third to complete the front row with 451 thousandths of a disadvantage, enough to leave behind in order Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo and Colin Edwards unable to improve in the final minutes of Attibassi.

If Casey Stoner shows at ease in all conditions, the gap does not change from the top (1 “8) for Valentino Rossi once again grappling with a qualifying session to forget. Twelfth on the grid, fourth row at Jerez and Assen, more so than at Silverstone (13th), but still in a season where it has never gone beyond the 7th time in a row and the third test.

It promises to be a race issue, perhaps the most difficult for Ducati at Mugello in recent years, with only 9 ° between Nicky Hayden Dani Pedrosa (8 th to the back) and Hector Barbera with GP11 “Sat” Aspar team. With sixteen riders at the start without the complicity of Loris Capirossi, close the group Alvaro Bautista, Randy de Puniet and Toni Elias, hoping for rain tomorrow should not come. The expected 100,000 spectators and the people of ” do not sleep at Mugello “thank you ..

MotoGP World Championship 2011
Mugello Qualifying Standings

01 – Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 1’48 .034
02 – Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0445 +
03 – Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 0451 +
04 – Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0660 +
05 – Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0722 +
06 – Colin Edwards – Tech 3 Yamaha Monster – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0940 +
07 – Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0987
08 – Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 1364 +
09 – Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1475
10 – Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1629 +
11 – Karel Abraham – Motoracing Cardion AB – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1644 +
12 – Valentino Rossi – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11.1 – 1868 +
13 – Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 2122 +
14 – Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki – Suzuki GSV-R – 2426 +
15 – Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 2617 +
16 – Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 2708 +

Marco Simoncelli in Barcelona won the first pole position of his career in MotoGP in the “field” in the most hostile and most difficult moment of his militancy in the top class. Escorted to the pits, with the finger pointing by all for the crime of Le Mans, the 2008 world champion in the 250cc class has managed to beat, albeit for only 16 milliseconds, a Casey Stoner seemed unattainable.

Jumped to the lead 40 seconds before the checkered flag with a fast lap in 1’42 “413, he surprised everyone by starting their Australian driver, who was unable to respond in a timely manner to achieve this performance for the fourth pole position of the season. Now for “Sic” comes to realize in the race as they say, the time of maturity. On lap has no such problems, relegating to second and third places as two world champions Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, at his side in the front row.

Ben Spies will open the second one, for only 7 thousandths ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (5 °), 4 / 10 better than Cal Crutchlow who continues to surprise with the only Tech 3 Yamaha race accomplice in the fractured right clavicle Colin Edwards (operated in the morning, aims to return to Silverstone). The former Supersport world champion has made ​​a fool for 21 thousandths of Valentino Rossi , seventh in the standings with the best Ducati fitted with the new engine (two punches, already 5 in total available in 6 second rule for a whole season).

The “Doctor” contains the gap to 8 / 10, the same disadvantage (only 0 “005 between the two) of his team-mate Nicky Hayden with Alvaro Bautista little off, better than Hector Barbera, Hiroshi Aoyama, Randy De Puniet and Loris Capirossi not gone beyond the 13th position. Complete the grid Toni Elias (with the frame 2011 for his Honda RC212V) and Karel Abraham, who died in early tests with a sore left wrist, not the best for the race scheduled for tomorrow from 14:00.

MotoGP World Championship 2011
Barcelona, ​​Qualifying Standings

01 – Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1’42 .413
2002 – Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0016 +
03 – Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0315 +
04 – Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0329 +
05 – Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0336 +
06 – Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0789 +
07 – Valentino Rossi – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 0810 +
08 – Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 0815 +
09 – Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – 1034 +
10 – Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1243 +
11 – Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1321 +
12 – Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1351 +
13 – Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 1655 +
14 – Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 2097 +
15 – Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – 3248 +

He may not have reprised his earlier successes since returning, but Michael Schumacher is still the highest-earning driver in formula one.

That is the finding of business magazine Forbes, according to its latest annual ranking of the world’s 50 highest paid athletes.

German Schumacher, 42, appears at number 9 on the list with a reported US $34 million in earnings.

The number takes into consideration not only his Mercedes retainer but, according to Forbes, an athletes’ “bonuses, prize money, appearance fees, licensing and endorsement income”.

Schumacher is therefore two places higher than Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, with $32 million.

Lewis Hamilton ranks 15th with his $30 million, two places behind MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi, with $31m.

NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson also appear in the top 50, with Earnhardt ranked highest of the trio with his 17th.

Forbes said the world’s highest earning athlete is Tiger Woods ($75m), with the average earnings of the top 50 being $28m — 11 per cent down on 2010.

Sebastian Vettel did not win the prestigious Laureus prize despite becoming F1′s youngest ever world champion.
The 23-year-old was nominated for the sportsman of the year gong but it was Spanish world number 1 tennis star Rafael Nadal who accepted the trophy on Monday night at the gala in Abu Dhabi.

And the Spanish national football team also beat Vettel’s nominated Red Bull team to the best international team prize.

Representing the world of premier motor racing, however, Valentino Rossi was awarded the world comeback of the year title.

Last year, the Italian took just 41 days to return to the saddle of his MotoGP bike after suffering an exposed leg fracture.

Norbert Haug has denied Helmut Marko’s claim that Mercedes is making a move to sign Sebastian Vettel for 2012.
After Marko this week admitted that Ferrari is pushing hard to poach Red Bull staff, the Austrian has now told Kleine Zeitung that Mercedes is moving on the energy drink-owned team’s reigning world champion Vettel.

Asked by the newspaper who other than Ferrari is interested in the 23-year-old, motor racing consultant Vettel answered: “Mercedes for sure.

“Knowing that Sebastian has a contract with us, Mercedes expresses quite an interest in him.”

Marko confirmed that Vettel’s contract expires at the end of the year but includes an option for 2012.

“For the time after (2011), we are already talking,” he revealed.

But when asked about Marko’s comments, Mercedes’ motor sport vice president Haug said the German marque has “not made Sebastian Vettel an offer”.

“We have exactly the drivers we wanted in Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg,” he told the German press agency DPA.

Haug however admitted it is “no secret” he has a good personal relationship with German Vettel but said it is “absolutely wrong” to make any assumptions because of that.

Multiple MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi thinks Mercedes would be right to be on the market for another driver.

At the Madonna di Campiglio ‘Wrooom’ event for Ferrari and Ducati, the rider said he thinks it will be “almost impossible” for Schumacher to win again following a three-year retirement.

“Michael is still going (with his comeback) and hopes to get the results he wants,” the Italian is quoted by SID news agency. “But as I said, it will be very difficult.”

There are no physical problems, the shoulder surgery was postponed in mid-November, so between Estoril and Valencia Valentino Rossi will conclude the seven-year experience with Yamaha. Hopefully in the best way to 9-time world champion, trying to win starting with the Grand Prix of Portugal where it does not rise to the top step of the podium since 2007, only 4 th last year.

“The last three races have been positive, “says Valentino Rossi. “I won three podiums, including a victory, I was happy because the bike has improved the health of my injured shoulder. Now we return to Europe and I feel very strong, I want to have fun in these last two races trying to win again.

Estoril for me last year was not a good race, we had some problems and am not on the podium, so we will try to change history this year. After Phillip Island in Portugal the weather is definitely better, even though the weather can change very quickly in Estoril It will be a factor to be reckoned with. ”

Potentially still in the race for third place in the championship, it should be noted that Valentino Rossi in the last three races has collected more points than all: the best way to present at Estoril and Valencia, for the first test with Ducati on 9-10 November .

The MotoGP race at Phillip Island was closed, in fact, the first corner. Duty correction: it is never started. On the home circuit Casey Stoner wins by an absolute ruler, complete with the “poker” of success on the island of Victoria in the past four years with Ducati (2007-2010) scaring people and wildlife in the archipelago at the confluence of three ocean currents, impressed the pace set by 2007 World Champion. In a few laps his lead has increased dramatically: 1 “5 at the first crossing the finish line, raised in 2″, 2 “3, 2″ 7 3 “1, 3″ 5 out of Jorge Lorenzo, the only sections not deface lap in comparison with the red missile.

When in a “mixed” can give to everyone in 2 seconds Warm Up, there’s really no story. Stoner Thus was the third win of the season (and in 4 games), saluting the best possible experience “Australian” with the Ducati. To see him jump to the last bend is already showing a bit of nostalgia in 2011, when it will try to do the same with the Honda and the Desmosedici will be expertly guided by Valentino Rossi, always on the podium today (3 rd), confirmation of a new-found form physics that can postpone the surgery on the shoulder for the first half of November, Valencia test with Ducati permitting.

With the top two positions largely stabilized, as two distinguished absent Dani Pedrosa (coming in second place just behind Stoner in the championship) and Loris Capirossi, the fight was behind them. Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden gave a good show for the third place: 3 laps from the checkered flag to overtake the Ducatista the last lap the replica of the “Doctor”, without giving any chance to reply by winning the sprint for 38 thousandths of a meager benefit.

Good race Ben Spies, fifth and officially “Rookie of the Year” 2010 by beating his opponent the only hypothetical Marco Simoncelli, sixth in growth as well as the first Honda rider in the race. KO with Pedrosa, Marco Melandri and De Puniet 9 ° 10 ° off the track after the Repsol Honda box lowered their shutters after 3 laps for the withdrawal of Andrea Dovizioso caused by a technical failure to the RC212V. It should not be the best that historically suffers Suzuki at Phillip Island, 12 ° with Alvaro Bautista behind Mika Kallio at his last MotoGP race (at Estoril in two weeks with the # 71 will be Carlos Checa), honoring the commitment before leave behind a season to forget for a sporting point of view and human.

Chronicle of Race

Casey Stoner reaches its final position on the grid, but is the first to take the “Doohan” to Lorenzo comes in contact with Spies thus opening the door to Simoncelli, Dovizioso and Hayden, Melandri is 7 °, 9 ° Rossi . Already on the first lap Stoner earns a “503 on Lorenzo, Simoncelli follows passing Hayden for the third position while Rossi comes in contact with Melandri for the 8th position in the” Southern Loop “: # 27 is behind dell’imprendibile a nice brawl.

The demonstration comes on the third lap with Dovizioso who has a striking problem, starts 13th and staccatissimo from the leading group where Hayden is back in third position with Rossi already in contact with Spies. The Superbike World Championship is a furious charge in the fourth passage leads to the third place, leaving behind his compatriot with Hayden and Rossi Simoncelli wheel, fighting quartet compared to the last valid position for the podium.

Forced to surrender Andrea Dovizioso, stopped by an obvious technical problem with wing’s Honda RC212V after just five laps on the box that HRC can lower their shutters and prepare the material in view of Estoril. Aim for the podium Valentino Rossi and Hayden with a lap passes first contact at the hairpin after the “MG”, shortly after the sacrificial victim is even Ben Spies at the curve “Doohan” with the result of opening the doors to Simoncelli and Hayden that give the show with Edwards in great comeback.

Filed the first third of the race, the situation is well defined: Stoner not see anyone, following Lorenzo 4 “with Rossi and Hayden now tussle for the final podium spot to fifth place instead of Ben Spies and Marco Simoncelli . Meanwhile, Randy De Puniet, the focus of many rumors, is leading a “straight” to “Honda Corner by spreading last contact with Barbera and Aoyama in visible distress. We arrive at the final rush following the double-battle for 3rd and 5th place: behind Stoner and Lorenzo have the better of Rossi Hayden (great last lap overtaking) and Spies on Simoncelli. Followed by Edwards and Melandri Espargaro in ninth place, 14 riders at the finish line, all waiting Estoril points in two weeks.

MotoGP World Championship 2010
Phillip Island Race Standings

01 – Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 27 laps in 41’09 .128
02 – Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 8598 +
03 – Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 17,997 +
04 – Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 18,035 +
05 – Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 22,211 +
06 – Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 22,211 +
07 – Colin Edwards – Tech 3 Yamaha Monster – Yamaha YZR M1 – 35,168 +
08 – Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 46,194 +
09 – Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 46,294 +
10 – Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 59,635 +
11 – Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 59,664 +
12 – Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – 59,732 +
13 – Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 1’05 .029 +
14 – Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1’05 .053

Found on the podium at Motegi and the victory at Sepang, Valentino Rossi has encountered more problems than expected this weekend at Phillip Island. At the end of formal qualifications obtained where only the eighth time is the third row are two aspects that have prevented the 9-time World Champion to do better.

First one still not optimal balance of his Yamaha YZR-M1 with a set up far from defined “optimal.” Secondly traffic and a series of unfortunate events that allowed him to improve on the grid for tomorrow looked forward to a tough race on paper.

“Today I was really unlucky, “said Valentino Rossi. “With the two softer tires to do the time I’m getting a good grid position. Before I met in trajectory Espargaro and Hayden, then it started raining and so I was unable to improve.

Start from the third row and will be a tough race, especially because we have not found a good race pace and we must work more on set-up. This evening and tomorrow morning we will try to find a solution to improve and have a good race.

The weather not only the ideal, this is a real shame because the track is fantastic and this cold you can not drive at its best, it takes several laps to send the tires up to temperature. I expect a very tough race, but we’ll see what we can do. “

The first win after an injury to the Mugello Valentino Rossi has had a special flavor. The 46th with Yamaha, but also demonstrate that they have finally overcome the difficult time that he had influenced in the last race of the season. With the newfound competitiveness in absolute terms for the nine times world champion this weekend is the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, waiting for him.

A very busy and important weekend for the foreseeable future: it is possible to confirm at high levels, but also to verify once and for all the health status of the injured shoulder in one of the more technical circuits and fast the whole calendar champion.

“Sunday was a truly fantastic day, “says Valentino Rossi,”get back to winning was wonderful. It ‘was one of my best victories of his entire career, the 46th with the Yamaha, I’m really happy.

Now I want to try to finish the season and are excited to get to Phillip Island which is one of the most spectacular circuits where race bikes. There are a number of years that I can not win in Australia, I would like to change that.

Many members of my team are Australians, and the audience is always very enthusiastic, so Phillip Island is always a very special race. “

Valentino Rossi has admitted it is unlikely he will switch to formula one in the future.

Now 31, the multiple champion of MotoGP has in the past flirted with a move to F1 after several test drives.

After badly breaking his leg earlier this season, Rossi has been beaten to the 2010 title and it had been said his move from Yamaha to the Italian marque Ducati could be a precursor to a future move to Ferrari.

But while in Malaysia last weekend for the latest MotoGP race, he told Italian media: “Now, I really don’t think it (moving to F1) will happen.”

Rossi was also scathing whilst criticising the motorcycle racing series’ governing body for deciding to delay the Sepang race to avoid a television clash with F1 in Japan.

He said the move compromised riders’ safety because the threat of rain in Malaysia is greater later in the day.

“We always bend over backwards to the formula one superpower,” said the Italian.

New motor system and the fourth area. Thus, and with some changes in the development of his Yamaha M1, he explains the great step forward Jorge Lorenzo in Sepang, where he commanded the final second free practice session on traveling 2’01 “949, reiterated in his last 22 laps coming in just 24 milliseconds from the personal best time. Good consistency of performance and step-by-race for the “almost” World Champion, who does not want to make do with a measly 9 th place to win the first title in the top class and present their ambitions of triumph in the Malaysian land.

The news that Lorenzo did not select the list of the times, indeed, the prospectus is to find the top three riders in a whisper: Casey Stoner is second to 22 milliseconds (also under 2’02 “), Valentino Rossi third remains at 2 / 10 of a second. For Ducatista net improvement compared to yesterday found a partial solution to the problems at the rear of his Desmosedici GP10, the future of Ducati in MotoGP so many laps (24) with the “run” on the 2’02 “not far from the step shown by team-mate, the one with the three steps below 2’02.

Waiting for formal qualifications in “second tier” We also have our own Andrea Dovizioso (small step back from yesterday) and Marco Simoncelli, up with the Honda Gresini team in a circuit that has not brought much luck this winter. Therefore, the present difficult Loris Capirossi, who fell to his very first lap of remedying a bruised right ankle: qualifications should not be at risk.

The Suzuki is confident, however, to obtain a good result thanks to Alvaro Bautista in form, sixth overall, leaving behind riders like De Puniet, Edwards, Barbera and Ben Spies in 10th place. As for Marco Melandri 14 th time, only ahead Mika Kallio in Sepang that even manages to bring in the Pramac Ducati positions to which he had used last year in the solo debut season in MotoGP.

MotoGP World Championship 2010
Sepang, Rank Free Practice 2

01 – Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 2’01 .949
02 – Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 0022 +
03 – Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0243 +
04 – Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0362 +
05 – Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 0594 +
06 – Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – 0668 +
07 – Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 0689 +
08 – Colin Edwards – Tech 3 Yamaha Monster – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0825 +
09 – Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 0847 +
10 – Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0869 +
11 – Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 0900 +
12 – Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 0972 +
13 – Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – 1120 +
14 – Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1507 +
15 – Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 1762 +

The world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha rider, ended Friday in free practice on the Sepang track with the third fastest time, preceded by team-mate Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso (Honda HRC).

The Spaniard ran into difficulties, as well as for the heat and dirt on the track, in the fourth sector of the track, which caused him to lose precious tenths and did not allow him to close the session ahead. Then this will be the main goal for “Porfuera”, which is to improve on that stretch so that we can aspire to the forefront, if not the pole position, in what is the first weekend in which to meet the world title.

“The conditions today were quite difficult,” admits Jorge Lorenzo, “with the high temperatures and the dirt path. I’m happy because I felt good on the bike, I went fast and I finished near the top position.

We used the old engine again today, but tomorrow we’ll probably try the new one. We have to work a fourth area, which is where we are wasting time now, so tomorrow we’ll focus on that and try to improve it further. “