Pedrosa still looking to improve bike setting

The Repsol Honda Team started the French Grand Prix on a roll with a first practice day where Casey Stoner led the two Free Practice sessions. At the end of the day, the Australian was four tenths ahead of the rest of the MotoGP riders, while Dani Pedrosa was third and Andrea Dovizioso sixth.

In the first Free Practice session, the three riders of the blue and orange Honda dominated the session, taking the first three places. Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso finished in that order a practice session where they were the only ones to set a time below 1 minute 35 seconds. A very positive start at the mythical Bugatti circuit in Le Mans.

Those good feelings were confirmed at the second session where, from the beginning, the Repsol riders put themselves in the top five. Casey Stoner had the initiative at all times and finished the day as the only rider able to run under 1 minute 34 seconds with a final time of 1 minute 33 seconds and 782 thousandths. The Repsol rider had nearly seven of margin over teammate Dani Pedrosa in third, who completed 23 laps setting a good pace despite still feeling a little pain on his right shoulder.

Dani Pedrosa FP1 – 1:34.431, 22 laps, 92 km. FP2 – 1:34.478, 23 laps, 96 km.
“In the morning it was difficult with the cold conditions to find some grip and then in the afternoon the grip got better but we couldn’t improve as much as we expected. Anyway we have some ideas and I hope to make a step forward tomorrow.

We need to work on the front and rear suspension to get a better feeling, the bike was moving a lot this afternoon entering and at the exit of the corners. We have to keep the momentum and bounce back again because we are doing well, the bike is going very strong and we have to keep focused and work hard”.

Source: Repsol Media