Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi had taken to the new Silverstone circuit on an 1198 road bike borrowed from Ducati UK after the SP model brought for him from Italy broke down after only four laps.

Ducati's marketing supremo Debbie Wiggins was on hand to lend Rossi the demonstrator, which had previously been at the BMF Rally, and the nine-time world champion then went back out and set 2'06s laptimes after adjusting nothing at all.

"Unfortunately, we had a problem with the racebike but with the streetbike it is possible too push a lot. I have great feeling, you can slide and push really in brakling. It is a good bike," said Rossi, speaking to bikesportnews.com when he came in.