Daniel Pedrosa has not backed off the throttle despite being crowned 250cc World Champion for the second consecutive year last weekend.

The Movistar rider worked hard to prepare for a race which is just as important to him as any other, adapting quickly to the demands of the new circuit. Dani was the fastest rider in the morning session and set the fourth quickest time in the afternoon after running into intense traffic at the end of the session. Despite that Pedrosa has maintained a consistent rhythm and knows that he is one of a group of fast riders, as is his team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama.

The Japanese rider clocked the third fastest time and returns to the front row for the first time since Sepang.

DANI PEDROSA (4^th,1’57”390): “Today was a lot better than yesterday although I expected to improve more in the afternoon. I tried to get a tow at the end of the session, as everybody does, but nobody was pushing and I had to go it alone. Anyway, I can’t complain because we haven’t had any major problems and the important thing is that we’ve found a good set-up for the race. We’ll have to get a good start and hope that nobody causes us any problems but I think the first few laps will be decisive. The tyres don’t seem to be a problem so I expect it will be a group battle with four or five of us at the front.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA (3^rd, 1’57”198): “I think we worked well in the afternoon although it helped to follow Dani on the last lap to set my time. I still don’t feel totally comfortable with the front end in turns 8, 9 and 10 and I’m losing a bit of time there. We’ve got the warm-up to try and improve and if we can do that I think I can have a good race because my pace isn’t bad.”

LAP TIMES
1. Alex De Anelis (RSM/Aprilia)1’56”930
2. Casey Stoner (Aus/Aprilia) + 0”141
3. Hiroshi Aoyama (Jap/Honda) + 0”268
4. Dani Pedrosa (Esp/Honda) + 0”460
5. Sebastián Porto  (Arg/Aprilia) + 0”563
6. Héctor Barberá (Esp/Honda) + 1”039