As expected in this first MotoGP free practice at Assen all eyes were pointed on Valentino Rossi and the new GP11.1. While the session was fully wet and so it was difficult to see if all the new updates that Ducati have been marched out are the solution to the problems that have been plaguing the GP11 and Rossi, but something is working, because the Italian finished second in the practice, behind the always fast Marco Simoncelli and only 0.360s adrift, and looking for the first time since the season started finally at ease on his Ducati.

The third spot went strangely enough to Casey Stoner, strangely because we are used to seeing him dominate the weekend from the first practice, he was 0.491s from Simoncelli, but checking out his intermediate lap times he’s fast as usual. Team mate Andrea Dovizioso who was second at Silverstone in the same conditions as today took fourth.

Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo took fifth on his M1, sporting Yamaha’s special 50th Anniversary livery. Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow was sixth riding just days after undergoing collarbone surgery, while also recovering team mate Colin Edwards was seventh. Rookie Karel Abraham had another good showing on his Ducati taking eighth followed by Nicky Hayden who only has the Ducati step 2 and Ben Spies closed out the top ten.

Hiroshi Aoyama who is filling in for Dani Pedrosa in the Repsol Honda team was 12th, while Honda test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi on the Gresini Honda was 16th and 2 tenths faster than Randy de Puniet.

MotoGP Assen FP1 results

01- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1’50.572
02- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11.1 – + 0.360
03- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.491
04- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.604
05- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.959
06- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.350
07- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.377
08- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.932
09- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 2.241
10- Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.554
11- Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 3.610
12- Hiroshi Aoyama – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 4.096
13- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 4.128
14- Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 4.287
15- Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 4.312
16- Kousuke Akiyoshi – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 4.317
17- Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 4.526

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