Dani Pedrosa of Japan had to leave the Moto GP Grand Prix of Japan after he fractured his left collarbone in a fall during a practice session on Friday. This will practically end his dreams of winning the coveted championship.
Pedrosa, who was riding a Repsol Honda, had already finished two laps on the Motegi circuit when he lost control of his bike and was sent hurling towards the ground. He fractured his left clavicle in three places and was rushed to the hospital. His condition is said to be stable though he will have to undergo a corrective surgery to avoid disabilities.
Italy's Valentino Rossi, who is a seven-time racing champion, clinched the top spot in the free session with the fastest lap of 1 minute, 48.174 seconds. Andrea Dovizioso, who is also an Italian, trailed with 0.123 seconds behind with Jorge Lorenzo of Spain finishing third.
Rossi is fourth in the overall standings as Lorenzo enjoys brighter chances of winning. He is at the top of the Moto GP standings with 284 points.
Lorenzo won the race last reason while representing his Yamaha team's home track. He was placed third at the end of the FP1 session as he had missed out winning a trophy during the last time out in Spain.
Australian Casey Stoner, who last won the championship in 2007, was seven-thousandths of a second behind Lorenzo in fourth, with Ben Spies clinching the fifth position.
Japan's Hiroshi Aoyama finished sixth during the free session.
