Top 10 position for Barbera in first ever MotoGP practice

MotoGP 2010 began in earnest on Friday night in Qatar, as the Losail International Circuit hosted the first practice session of the new season. The riders had experience of the track from a test held last month, bringing their work forward slightly but still leaving plenty to do. Three rookies shook up the established veterans by placing in the top ten on opening night, but Losail continues to be Casey Stoner territory. The Australian was the fastest man in the desert in a typical display, but the nine behind him are separated by little more than a second.

Páginas Amarillas Aspar Héctor Barberá was experiencing his first session as a MotoGP rider, and he didn’t look out of place in the premier class. The Spaniard was calm and, most importantly, consistently fast right from the start of the run, and was unshakeable from the top ten throughout the night. Barberá gained further confidence thanks to a rear end adjustment to his Ducati, enabling more grip and a fastest lap of 1’57.105 on the nineteenth of his twenty laps in Losail. Satisfied and excited, the debutante is expecting further improvement tomorrow ahead of his maiden MotoGP race.

Saturday night sees two MotoGP sessions under the floodlights, with the second free practice run followed by the all-important qualifying session for the Grand Prix of Qatar.

10th Héctor Barberá 1.57.105 (20 laps): “We rode like we did in the test, so the result of an hour’s work is more than enough to leave us pleased with ourselves. The team are doing a fantastic job; we made a change in the middle of the session that enabled me to ride much more comfortably, with increased rear end grip for my Ducati. The choice of tyres is something that we have more or less clarified, which is a step forward. I was very excited about this moment, and I had a lot of fun on track. From the start I was calm and riding as I enjoy doing. This first experience being so positive is a help for me as I try to build confidence, so I don’t think that we could have had a better start to the GP. Tomorrow I would like to continue in the same way, trying another tyre in order to get me completely ready for the race.”