While Repsol Honda was right up there on the timesheets of the opening day of the final show down at the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, it was Dani Pedrosa who finished the day sitting pretty in second place overall.

This is really no major surprise as this is a track where he's the most successful rider, with six wins across all classes.

Dani was tenth in the first free practice session but made the best of much warmer temperatures in FP2, lapping in the 1'31s on 10 occasions and setting the second fastest lap time, just 0.122 off the top.

โ€œI'm happy enough with how today went. In the afternoon, when the track was a little warmer and there was more grip than in the morning, I felt more comfortable on the bike,โ€ he said. โ€œIf it remains dry through the weekend, as it seems it will, the track will continue to improve and the grip will also get better, so we must remain focused and continue in this direction.โ€

โ€œToday we worked well to understand the tires, our pace and bike setup, but tomorrow will be another important day of practice and opportunity to continue the progress. Sunday's race is in the afternoon, but we want to improve also in cooler conditions.โ€