Lorenzo leads the way in opening practice at Brno13/08/2010
Bridgestone slick compounds
available: Front: Hard, Extra Hard.
Rear: Medium, Hard
Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo
continued his strong form during the first hour-long free practice session at Brno, setting the fastest
time by more than half a second.
Having assessed both front
and rear tyre compound options during the session, his best time came on the harder
variants. Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi finished second and third fastest,
but both set their best times using the softer rear slick.
The session was brought
to a temporary halt when light rain started to fall in the last fifteen minutes
of the scheduled hour. Many riders were using the practice to compare the performance
of Bridgestone’s harder and softer option slick tyres and this halt interrupted
their respective programmes. As the shower ceased, Hector Barbera, Valentino
Rossi, Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi ventured back out in the closing
minutes of the session and the track remained dry enough for them all to continue
using slick tyres.
The weather forecast over
the next two days is mixed, suggesting a damp track tomorrow morning for the
second free practice after overnight rain, followed by a fine qualifying
session but a return to rain for Sunday’s race.
Tohru Ubukata, Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre
Development Department said:
“This session was cut short by the
rain shower so many riders will have to continue their tyre compound comparisons
tomorrow, mainly with regards rear tyre choice. Front tyre choice will be
easier as all today favoured the harder front, but we saw amongst the top three
that both the harder and the softer rear provide a similar level of
performance. The conditions cooled towards the end of the session because of
the shower, but the times are still half a second off last year’s record, set
by Jorge on our tyres, so there is more to come this weekend if the weather
remains good. This is uncertain however, so we are prepared with our soft compound
wets.”
