The 24-year-old, who will become the youngest ever rider to reach the 100 race landmark on Sunday, finished the day 0.7secs from fastest man
Valentino Rossi, despite being just 13th quickest through the speed trap this afternoon.
"Today we worked on setting up the machine to suit my preferences around this circuit. I really like this track and I've always gone quite well here," said the Anglo-American. "In the afternoon session we tried a few different
Bridgestone tyre combinations to find a choice that will last the distance on Sunday. We also evaluated various parts and we've finished practice very positively. I'm feeling confident and tomorrow we need to qualify well to put us in the best possible stead for the race."
Team-mate
Anthony West, like several riders, recorded his best lap during the morning practice, and - although eighth quickest along the back straight - was only 15th on combined times.
"Although the times are not brilliant, we are making some progress and our fastest laps have been in the closing stages of each session," said the Australian. "Hopefully, this means there is more to come, and we can continue going faster. Our biggest problem is with the power delivery and corner exit, where I feel we are losing a lot of time due to a lack of traction. Tonight we will review the data and try to find a solution to continue moving forwards."
