In the best track conditions seen in the last three free practices, this afternoon’s Catalunya qualifying session saw Marco Simoncelli pip Casey Stoner for the pole position.
The Italian who has been surrounded by controversy since the Le Mans GP and escorted around the paddock by two cops in Gresini team garb, grabbed his first ever pole position in MotoGP with a best lap of 1.
42.
413 ,which was just 0.
016 faster than Stoner, who had virtually dominated the entire hour session, but couldn’t manage to improve in the closing stages.
Taking off on the front row next to Simoncelli and Stoner will be Jorge Lorenzo, who in his last lap lunge pipped Yamah team mate Ben Spies by just 0.
014s, while the Texas Terror was just 0.
007s faster than Honda Repsol’s Andrea Dovizioso who qualified fifth.
Closing the second row will be Yamaha Tech3’s rookie the very impressive Cal Crutchlow, who was a little more than seven tenths slower than Marco Simoncelli.
Valentino Rossi was only seventh and will open the third row, he too was pipped, but for a second row start by Crutchlow and 0.
020s, and was a little more eight tenths adrift from Simoncelli’s pole position.
Team mate Nicky Hayden will start in eighth, he was just 0.
005 slower than Rossi.
Closing out the last two spots in the top ten will be Alvaro Bautista and Hector Barbera.
Karel Abraham crashed out in the opening minutes of session and a suspected left wrist injury, but after a check-up at the Medical Center was able to return to track and qualify 15th.
MotoGP Catalunya Qualifying Results:01- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1’42.
41302- Casey Stoner – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.
01603- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
31504- Ben Spies – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
32905- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 0.
33606- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
78907- Valentino Rossi – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 0.
81008- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 0.
81509- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1.
03410- Hector Barbera – Mapfre Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
24311- Hiroshi Aoyama – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.
32112- Randy De Puniet – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
35113- Loris Capirossi – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 1.
65514- Toni Elias – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 2.
09715- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – Ducati Desmosedici GP11 – + 3.
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