MotoGP practice to be lengthened

As part of the cost-cutting measures introduced for this year, Friday morning practice was cancelled outright, and the other sessions reduced to 45 minutes.

But this proved unpopular with leading riders, who urged the organisers to allow additional mileage.

In a meeting of the Grand Prix commission this morning, the decision was taken to make the remaining two practice sessions plus qualifying one hour long again, although there will remain just one session on Fridays.

While the restoration of what amounts to 45 minutes of practice time will be popular with the riders, they are likely to be disappointed by the continued absence of a Friday morning session.

"For me it's a better idea, even if we went to 45 minutes for four of them instead of three one-hour sessions," said former champion Casey Stoner at Jerez yesterday. "Everyone's here, everyone's ready, and on Friday morning we're all sitting around doing nothing.

"Everyone wants the Friday session back. Everyone's flying in here, we all arrive on the same day, we have the press conference on Thursday and everyone has to be here, but we're only getting on track on Friday afternoon, so it's a waste of time."