Stoner still fastest as Sepang test ends

The former world champion has struggled with pain from his injured wrist all week, and had to limit his running again today.

But that didn't stop Stoner setting the pace with a lap of 2:01.043 on his Ducati.

As had been the case for the previous two days, Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) were Stoner's main rivals, taking second and third places - just 0.094 and 0.219 seconds off the pace respectively.

Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards continued his encouraging debut on Bridgestone rubber by breaking into the top four, ahead of Gresini Honda's Toni Elias, who has been a top six factor throughout the test.

Chris Vermeulen took sixth on the second Suzuki, with Jorge Lorenzo improving his form on the second factory Yamaha after a difficult start to 2009 and taking seventh.

With Dani Pedrosa returning home to rest his painful knee, having aggravated a 2008 injury, eighth-placed Andrea Dovizioso was the only works Honda rider present.

After struggling earlier in the test, Pramac Ducati's rookie Finn Mika Kallio made major gains to take ninth position, ahead of factory rider Nicky Hayden, who crashed at Turn 2.

James Toseland was again the slowest of the regular riders, the Tech 3 Yamaha rider having been hampered by severe bruising since a heavy accident on the first day of the test.

Pos  Rider              Bike    Time               Laps
 1.  Casey Stoner       Ducati  2:01.043           38
 2.  Valentino Rossi    Yamaha  2:01.137  + 0.094  43
 3.  Loris Capirossi    Suzuki  2:01.262  + 0.219  60
 4.  Colin Edwards      Yamaha  2:01.413  + 0.370  22
 5.  Toni Elias         Honda   2:01.560  + 0.517  43
 6.  Chris Vermeulen    Suzuki  2:01.666  + 0.623  48
 7.  Jorge Lorenzo      Yamaha  2:01.907  + 0.864  61
 8.  Andrea Dovizioso   Honda   2:01.955  + 0.912  54
 9.  Mika Kallio        Ducati  2:02.386  + 1.343  61
10.  Nicky Hayden       Ducati  2:02.497  + 1.454  62
11.  Alex De Angelis    Honda   2:02.523  + 1.480  32
12.  Sete Gibernau      Ducati  2:02.727  + 1.684  42
13.  Randy De Puniet    Honda   2:03.418  + 2.375  50
14.  Yuki Takahashi     Honda   2:03.474  + 2.431  58
15.  Niccolo Canepa     Ducati  2:03.901  + 2.858  41
16.  James Toseland     Yamaha  2:03.953  + 2.910  36
17.  Norihiko Fujiwara  Yamaha  2:04.328  + 3.285  38
18.  Wataru Yoshikawa   Yamaha  2:04.614  + 3.571  33