Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa topped the final MotoGP free practice at Assen this morning in a session that has hit by rain early on which caught out reigning champion Casey Stoner, the Australian getting spat over the highside of his RC213V at the fast De Bult left-hander.
Stoner wasn't on a flying lap but was still motoring. He looked to be winded and annoyed with himself but went back out as the session dried, managing to bag sixth place but eight-tenths slower than team-mate Pedrosa, who spent most the dry track time on the softer option Bridgestone tyre.
The Spaniard lapped in 1'34.522, the quickest of the weekend so far, but was chased by Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo. The works Yamaha man was a little under two tenths slower than his countryman but is spending his time getting a race setup on the hard tyre. Alvaro Bautista claimed third, one place higher yesterday, while Cal Crutchlow was fourth.
The Monster Yamaha man had good pace yesterday on both soft and hard tyres but was working on the latter option this morning and spent several laps in the wheeltracks of Lorenzo, the man he feels will run away with tomorrow's race. His team-mate, Andrea Dovizioso, was one place behind and two -tenths slower.
LCR Honda man Stefan Bradl took seventh ahead of Nicky Hayden on the works Ducati. Both Hayden and teamster Valentino Rossi have voiced concerns over how the aggressive power delivery of their GP12 is marmalsing tyres after only seven or eight laps, so this morning the pair were experimenting with a setting to try and cure that. Hector Barbera and yesterday's quickest man Ben Spies were between the two.
Aleix Espargaro was again the fastest CRT runner with, unsurprisingly, Randy De Puniet right behind him and Michele Pirro occupies third place. James Ellison was 18th overall while Colin Edwards sits at the foot of the sheet, six seconds in arrears.
