Daily Update MotoGP

Andrea Dovizioso put himself in the driving seat for this afternoon´s MotoGP qualifying run, recording the fastest wet time of the weekend in the final free practice.

A frantic finale to the third MotoGP free practice session saw Andrea Dovizioso walk away with the fastest time of the Saturday morning run. The JiR Team Scot rider was the only participant unable make improvements in yesterday´s afternoon outing, but was back on form as the soaked Donington track threw up a new challenge for the riders.

Dovizioso´s quickest time was a 1´43.957 lap of the British circuit, ahead of another rider whose ability to compete to the fullest was in doubt. Repsol Honda´s Dani Pedrosa had taken a heavy bump in Friday´s second session, but continued unabated on the spring valve engine-supported Repsol Honda RC212V at just 0.038 slower than Dovizioso.
Second factory Honda rider Nicky Hayden once again showed himself to be more suited to the pneumatic valve version of the Japanese factory´s motor, half a second down on his teammate in third and with reason to be optimistic ahead of qualifying.
MotoGP´s `Rain Man´, Anthony West had no complaints about the typically British showers as he gave his best practice performance of the year. The Kawasaki rider has spent the gap between Catalunya and Donington testing in Japan, and seems to have gone some way to addressing his previous rear-grip problems.
After the indignity of finishing below debuting replacement Ben Spies in yesterday´s combined timesheet, Sylvain Guintoli bounced back as the fastest Ducati rider in fifth, ahead of 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner who led the way for most of the session.
Alex de Angelis was once again at the sharp end of the standings, ahead of the Fiat Yamaha duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi and Spies himself.
Whilst no rider in the top ten took a tumble, there were crashes for five participants as they fell foul of the slippery track. Randy de Puniet, Chris Vermeulen, John Hopkins, Shinya Nakano and home rider James Toseland all had inconsequential falls.
ref[motogp.com]
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Returning after a race out on the sidelines, Jorge Lorenzo is pioneering a more cautious approach to riding at Donington Park.
Whilst it can rarely be said that fearless rookie Jorge Lorenzo is a rider lacking in confidence, a concussion-inducing crash in Catalunya means that the Fiat Yamaha rider will be looking to regain self belief and World Championship points at Donington Park.
According to his team, results will not be the main focus of the Spaniard´s weekend, with physical and mental recovery top of the list of priorities. Visible signs of the former will be apparent through Lorenzo´s use of special silk glove, protecting the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand recently treated with a skin graft.
`It has been a tough couple of weeks for me and watching the Barcelona race from my hospital bed wasn´t much fun,´ admits Lorenzo, who is contemplating modifying his racing approach in order to avoid the spate of crashes that have plagued his rookie MotoGP season.
`I´m looking forward to getting back on the bike, although I think I have to ride a little more cautiously this weekend! It is like starting again from scratch so I have to change my approach. What I can say about Donington is that I have got great memories from there – I took 250cc victory in 2006 and last year I was riding really well in the wet. It is a fast circuit, other than the final section, and it will be interesting to ride there on a MotoGP bike for the first time.´
ref[motogp.com]

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Kawasaki rider John Hopkins is aiming to put on a strong result at the British Grand Prix despite being sore following his injury in Barcelona.
The Anglo-American rider is still recovering from the fractured vertebrae he suffered in a crash during practice for the Catalan Grand Prix.
Despite the injury, he raced in the Spanish event and finished in 10th place.
Hopkins admits he is still not feeling 100 percent, but the Kawasaki rider is fired up ahead of what he considers his second home race.
"Following the Catalunya race we had a one day test where I rode as many laps as I could with the back injury I sustained in practice," said Hopkins in a team preview.

"In the lead-up to the last two races I had been training very hard so thankfully I haven't lost any fitness, which is always a problem when carrying injuries, and I've had the chance to rest to help the healing process.
"I'm still very stiff and sore, but Donington Park is like a home away from home, and it's a track I definitely enjoy.
"For me the British Grand Prix is one of the biggest races of the season, with many members of my family coming to support me, and regardless of my injury I'll be looking to gain a strong result aboard the Kawasaki."
ref[AS]
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