Troy Bayliss was the main man giving chase to compatriot and namesake
Troy Corser in the first qualifying session in Qatar, though the Aussie was left lamenting the strong winds that hammered the Losail International Circuit during the opening day.
Bayliss ended up just over two tenths of a second adrift of his fellow former double World Superbike Champion at the close of play on day one, after battling against the elements throughout.
“I'm reasonably happy with how it went today,” the 38-year-old remarked afterwards, “but we all found it tough and every lap had to be ridden in a different way simply due to the conditions. The wind meant that I was never completely comfortable, and there is only so much we can do to change the settings of the bike because conditions may be different again tomorrow.
“Looking at this weekend's entry, list I reckon it's going to be a very competitive championship this year. We're a strong field and I'm looking forward to the competition!”
Bayliss' Ducati Xerox team-mate
Michel Fabrizio wound up just over a second shy back in eleventh position, after he too took advantage of the morning practice session to check the settings of the new Ducati 1098 F08.
“It was very difficult out there today,” the Italian confirmed, “and although sand on the track wasn't such a problem, I wasn't totally confident on the bike with the strong winds.
“Having said that, there were several of us who were lapping around the two-minute mark, so we were all having similar problems with the weather I think. We've changed a few settings on the bike throughout the day, and I hope we can make better progress tomorrow.”
