James Toseland is confident he can be in the hunt for at least a podium finish after the first day of practice for the bwin.com British Grand Prix at Donington Park. The 27 year old Yorkshireman was eighth fastest after the first day of practice round the 2.5 miles Parkland circuit and less than one second behind World Champion Casey Stoner who led the way on the Marlboro Ducati.
The 30 lap race on Sunday will be Toseland’s eighth MotoGP appearance and his one and only appearance in Britain this year. He will look to improve his pace in practice tomorrow morning and in the vital qualifying session tomorrow afternoon.
“We have been chasing a good setting all day and we found it in the last ten minutes of the second session,” explained Toseland, who is seventh in the World Championship.” I’m pretty pleased with today and I think I can find the pace of the leaders on Sunday and be right up there with them.”
Last year’s winner Stoner, led former World Champion Nicky Hayden riding the new pneumatic valve Repsol Honda, by just over half a second with World Championship leader and seven times Donington winner Valentino Rossi third fastest on the Fiat Yamaha.
Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who won the last grand prix in Barcelona and trails Rossi by just seven points in the Championship, crashed with injury at Redgate corner and was sixth fastest behind Colin Edwards, Toseland’s Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate and Alex De Angelis riding the Gresini Honda.
Redding Impresses 0n Donington DebutFifteen years old Scott Redding from Gloucester once again was right on the pace at a circuit he’s never raced on before. The Blusens Aprilia rider was fourth fastest in the first 125 cc qualifying session at the Donington circuit which he raced on for the very first time in the morning practice session.
The first qualifying session was led by Italian Simone Corsi, riding the Jack and Jones WRB Aprilia with the first 13 riders separated by less than one second in a hectic session because of the threat of rain in the second qualifying session tomorrow afternoon.
Seventeen year old Bradley Smith, still recovering from injuries to his left leg sustained in his qualifying crash in Barcelona was twelfth with Kent-based Danny Webb 14th, riding the DeGraff Aprilia.
“Although my injuries make it painful to walk it’s no great problem actually riding the bike, “said Smith, who scored his very first World Championship points at Donington two years ago.” We are having a few problems with the bike at the moment but to finish just over eight tenths of one second behind Corsi is not so bad. I just hope it does not rain tomorrow.”
In the first 250 cc qualifying session Ulsterman Eugene Laverty was 20th, riding the Blusens Aprilia with former 125 cc World Champion Alvaro Bautista leading the way.
