Champion Stoner sets early pace in Qatar | CNN

Champion Stoner sets early pace in Qatar

2 minute read
Updated 12:31 PM EDT, Fri April 6, 2012
Honda's world champion Casey Stoner won 10 of the 17 completed races in MotoGP last season, including the finale in Valencia. He is hoping to retain his Qatar race title in Sunday's season opener.
Stoner on track for 2012 glory —
Honda's world champion Casey Stoner won 10 of the 17 completed races in MotoGP last season, including the finale in Valencia. He is hoping to retain his Qatar race title in Sunday's season opener.
Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo finished second at Japanese Grand Prix in October -- and second overall as the Spaniard relinquished his world title to Stoner. A finger injury ruled him out of the last three races.
High-flying Lorenzo —
Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo finished second at Japanese Grand Prix in October -- and second overall as the Spaniard relinquished his world title to Stoner. A finger injury ruled him out of the last three races.
Honda's Andrea Dovizioso will be seeking his first race victory since his maiden win in 2009. The Italian placed third overall last year after registering seven podium placings.
Italy's roaring sucess on home turf —
Honda's Andrea Dovizioso will be seeking his first race victory since his maiden win in 2009. The Italian placed third overall last year after registering seven podium placings.
Another Honda rider, Dani Pedrosa, was fourth in 2011 after missing three races due to a fractured collarbone at the French Grand Prix in May. The Spaniard was runner-up to Lorenzo in 2010.
Pedrosa showered in glory —
Another Honda rider, Dani Pedrosa, was fourth in 2011 after missing three races due to a fractured collarbone at the French Grand Prix in May. The Spaniard was runner-up to Lorenzo in 2010.
Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi will seek to improve on a disappointing first season at Ducati, having ended 2011 in seventh place.
Can Rossi return to form? —
Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi will seek to improve on a disappointing first season at Ducati, having ended 2011 in seventh place.
American rider Ben Spies was Rossi's replacement at Yamaha's main team last year, and the 27-year-old won a race for the first time in the Netherlands and finished fifth overall.
Success for Spies —
American rider Ben Spies was Rossi's replacement at Yamaha's main team last year, and the 27-year-old won a race for the first time in the Netherlands and finished fifth overall.
Rossi's teammate Nicky Hayden was a world champion with Honda in 2006, but finished eighth last year and crashed in the final race. The 30-year-old American is starting his fourth season at the Italian team.
Sparks fly for Hayden —
Rossi's teammate Nicky Hayden was a world champion with Honda in 2006, but finished eighth last year and crashed in the final race. The 30-year-old American is starting his fourth season at the Italian team.
Britain's Cal Crutchlow was a big success in the World Superbike series, but struggled after taking the step up to MotoGP last year with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team.
Crutchlow flies the flag —
Britain's Cal Crutchlow was a big success in the World Superbike series, but struggled after taking the step up to MotoGP last year with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team.
AFP/Getty Images
Hiroshi Aoyama was the top Japanese rider in MotoGP last year. The 30-year-old finished the season 10th for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team.
Larger than life Hiroshi —
Hiroshi Aoyama was the top Japanese rider in MotoGP last year. The 30-year-old finished the season 10th for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team.
Spanish rider Hector Barbera has switched to the Pramac Racing team for 2012 after two years at Ducati, where he finished 12th and then 11th overall.
Hector puts his head down —
Spanish rider Hector Barbera has switched to the Pramac Racing team for 2012 after two years at Ducati, where he finished 12th and then 11th overall.
Young Czech rider Karel Abraham will be embarking on his second season in MotoGP. The 22-year-old was 14th overall for Ducati last year.
Czech cuts a fine figure —
Young Czech rider Karel Abraham will be embarking on his second season in MotoGP. The 22-year-old was 14th overall for Ducati last year.
The starting grid will be less colorful this year due to the absence of charismatic Italian rider Marco Simoncelli, who died after crashing at the Malaysian Grand Prix in October.
Remembering Marco —
The starting grid will be less colorful this year due to the absence of charismatic Italian rider Marco Simoncelli, who died after crashing at the Malaysian Grand Prix in October.
Bike stars gear up for MotoGP 2012

Story highlights

Two-time world champion Casey Stoner wins first practice session of the MotoGP opener in Qatar

The Honda rider was followed by Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati's Nicky Hayden

Stoner struggles against chatter issues but manages to take the race in 1'54.474

Valentino Rossi hopes to turn around a disappointing year, finishing 10th

CNN  — 

World motorcycling champion Casey Stoner is determined to show he is still the man to beat in 2012, having set the early pace ahead of the MotoGP season’s opening race in Qatar on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Australian led the pack at Thursday’s first practice session at Losail, and was also fastest at the first of two runs on Friday. The Honda rider was followed by Yamaha’s 2010 world champion Jorge Lorenzo of Italy in both outings.

Ducati’s American rider Nicky Hayden, another to have won the championship, finished third on Thursday – while Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso was in that position after Friday’s opener.

Stoner has been in sparkling form during pre-season testing along with Spanish teammate Dani Pedrosa, who was fourth last year after an injury-hit season.

Marco Simoncelli was killed at the Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang after losing control of his Honda
Marco Simoncelli was killed at the Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang after losing control of his Honda
Getty Images
video

Related video World mourns Simoncelli death

Flowers are laid under a sign displaying Simoncelli's racing number of 58 in his hometown of Cattolica.
Flowers are laid under a sign displaying Simoncelli's racing number of 58 in his hometown of Cattolica.
Getty Images
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Related video Tributes pour in for Simoncelli

ws giacomo agostini on simoncelli _00013920
ws giacomo agostini on simoncelli _00013920
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Related video Remembering fallen MotoGP star

“We started this evening with huge chatter issues and I was a little afraid we couldn’t fix this but after a few more exits we managed to reduce it to a more comfortable level,” Stoner, who has won the world title with two different teams, said on the MotoGP website after Thursday’s session.

“This is a positive point for the weekend but with such a short session it’s slightly strange. It was an okay start.”

Marco Simoncelli: The motorcycling star who shined so bright

In contrast, it was a slow start for Valentino Rossi, a seven-time world champion in the sport’s premier class, who finished the Thursday session in 10th place and the same again in Friday’s first run.

The Italian rider will be hoping to make a comeback after a disappointing 2011 season, his first with Ducati after a long period of dominance at Yamaha.

Rossi and teammate Hayden must also familiarize themselves with the still-new Desmosedici GP12 machines.

“I used the hard tire the whole session, trying to do a lot of laps in order to understand it. The new tire is much better for warming up, so good for safety, but it started to slide a lot after some laps and made some of the under-steer worse,” Rossi said.

“We have to work with the setting and also the electronics. The soft will be important for Saturday (qualifying), but the hard will be the tire for the race.”