Casey Stoner...a second quicker than his rivals
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REIGNING MOTOGP World Champion Casey Stoner once again made the competition look daft by clocking the fastest time of the day - I mean night - at Qatar's floodlit MotoGP test session.
The Australian, who won ten GPs on his way to claiming the 2007 title, set a fastest time of 1:55.368 - almost a second quicker than his nearest rival, Honda-mounted Andrea Dovizioso. Stoner also cracked his existing lap record, which the Ducati rider set at Losail in 2007.
The third fastest in the midnight test session was Honda LCR rider, Randi De Puniet, who notched up a best of 1:56.649
Britain's James Toseland ended the session in an impressive fifth position, less than two-tenths behind his Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Colin Edwards. The Yorkshireman, who will compete in his first MotoGP when the season starts in two weeks time, went quicker than seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi.
We've singled out what we think are the best shots from the first night time MotoGP test session - it's a tempting glimpse of what to expect when the season kicks off for real on March 9th.
Circuit Record: Casey Stoner - 1'56.528
Best Pole: Valentino Rossi - 1'55.002
Top five placings from night test session
1. Casey STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1:55.368
2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda) 1:56.442
3. Randy DE PUNIET (Honda) 1:56.649
4. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha) 1:56.860
5. James TOSELAND (Yamaha) 1:57.018
JT on the way to setting the 5th fastest time
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Loris Capirossi gets swamped by the Suzuki
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There's no love loss between Hayden and Pedrosa
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Rossi set the sixth fastest time of the session
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"Where are the rest?" - Stoner shows 'em the way again
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Jorge Lorenzo...can he take the title in 2008?
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Hayden says he feels less pressure than in 2007
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Toseland's looking good - not sure about the paint scheme...
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Well there's no need for that, Jorge!
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Stoner's even got time for a joke...
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And as night falls the racing starts!
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