Qatar MotoGP, 19-20 March
Saturday 19 March: Qualifying: 1450-1805, BBC Red Button/online. Sunday 20 March: 125cc and Moto2: 1550-1805, BBC Red Button/online. MotoGP live: 1830-2000, BBC Two/online. MotoGP repeat: 0000-0130, BBC Two

Honda rider Stoner was the 2007 champion

Repsol Honda rider Casey Stoner set the quickest time in the final practice session ahead of the opening race of the MotoGP season in Qatar on Sunday.

The 2007 champion claimed a fastest time of one minute, 55.035 seconds at the Losail circuit on Friday.

Fellow Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso claimed second and third, while reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo ended in fourth place.

British rider Cal Crutchlow finished in 11th ahead of his debut MotoGP race.

Tech 3 Yamaha rider Crutchlow, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery, has already experienced problems at the Losail circuit after a heavy crash during testing earlier this week caused him to lose the tip of the little finger on his left hand.

To be honest, the rivals have improved a lot and Yamaha hasn't, not a lot. Reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo

But he was eighth in the opening session - finishing ahead of multiple world champion Valentino Rossi - and was pleased with his performance.

"To be as close as I was to the top six, I can't really ask for too much more," said the Coventry-born rider.

"Considering how sore my finger is and my shoulder is starting to hurt a bit now as well, I can't complain.

"I actually think I could have gone quicker but when I put in a soft rear tyre at the end, the front tyre had got a few laps on it and it was moving around when I was pushing. But I feel a lot more comfortable on the bike and we've got a few ideas for Saturday (qualifying), so I can improve a bit more."

Lorenzo's Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies finished fifth after the final session, with Rossi moving up to eighth.

And defending champion Lorenzo has admitted that his Yamaha team need to become more competitive if he is to make an impact in the early stages of the season.

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"We are not at our best moment, with the setting," said Lorenzo ahead of Friday's session.

"We need improvements in the bike to be competitive and I know we can be faster than in the test.

"To be honest, the rivals have improved a lot and Yamaha hasn't, not a lot. At the moment, we not only have a problem with the maximum potential, but with the set-up. I am sure we can improve and then be closer."

Stoner, back on Honda after four years with Ducati, won the opening race of the year in Qatar in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and was leading by a second last year when he crashed out.

And after timing one minute, 55.457 seconds in Friday's early session, he set his blistering one minute, 55.035 seconds during the late-night session.

"We spent most of the second session on Friday on used tyres to get a better understanding of where we are with them," said the Australian.

Crutchlow cannot wait for Qatar

"We did a quick lap on race distance with these tyres so we're really happy with this - in addition we completed around 30 laps on the front tyre which also worked well.

"We played around with the tyre pressure a little, but in general they seem to be very consistent from start to end.

Suzuki rider Alvaro Bautista suffered a heavy crash in the opening 10 minutes of Friday's practice session and his team have confirmed that he suffered a broken left femur.

The injury will require surgery, although no decision has yet been taken as to whether the operation will take place in Qatar or whether Bautista will first return to Spain.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday with the opening race of the season taking place under the floodlights on Sunday.

Free practice session:

1. Casey Stoner (AUS/Honda) 1min 55.035secs
2. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) at 0.158
3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Honda) 0.705
4. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Yamaha) 0.779
5. Ben Spies (USA/Yamaha) 0.968
6. Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati) 1.231
7. Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 1.267
8. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Ducati) 1.271
9. Randy de Puniet (FRA/Ducati) 1.327
10. Loris Capirossi (ITA/Ducati) 1.399
11. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 1.402
12. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN/Honda) 1.482
13. Marco Simoncelli (ITA/Honda) 1.505
14. Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 1.552
15. Karel Abraham (CZE/Ducati) 2.240
16. Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Suzuki) 2.566
17. Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) 3.088

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