Australian world champion Casey Stoner posted the quickest time in the first session of pre-season MotoGP testing in Jerez on Friday.

The Honda star clocked a best lap of 1min 39.146 to top the standings ahead of Yamaha’s Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo by 0.273sec.

Stoner was continuing his bold pre-season showing on the new 1,000cc bikes having emerged quickest in the first bout of testing on the Malaysian circuit of Sepang at the start of the month.

The 2012 season gets underway in Qatar on April 8.