Double US GP winner Nicky Hayden was only 14th on his Laguna Seca Ducati debut, 1.766sec from the top, but was the next best Desmosedici after Stoner. Sete Gibernau was one place and 0.786sec behind Hayden on the Group Francisco Hernando bike.

The two riders making their Laguna Seca debut this weekend, rookies Gabor Talmacsi and Niccolo Canepa, rounded out the field in 16th and 17th - however Talmacsi rose from the tail of the field for the first time as he outpaced Canepa's Pramac Ducati by 0.585sec.

Talmacsi is now Scot Honda's only rider, with fellow rookie Yuki Takahashi having been dropped for financial reasons, while the second Pramac Ducati of Mika Kallio is missing the event due to a hand injury sustained last Saturday at Assen.

Friday practice:

1. Rossi
2. Lorenzo
3. Stoner
4. Pedrosa
5. Elias
6. Dovizioso
7. Melandri
8. Vermeulen
9. Edwards
10. de Angelis
11. de Puniet
12. Capirossi
13. Toseland
14. Hayden
15. Gibernau
16. Talmacsi
17. Canepa