Casey Stoner will start from pole positionafter setting the fastest lap during qualifying in Qatar.
Stoner dominated the session setting the fastest time and leaving second place to Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi who was behind by .
473 of a second.
Jorge Lorenzo had to settle for third on his soft race tires but was just .
024 secs from his teammate.
Nicky Hayden who has been struggling all weekend with clutch problems and also an engine breakdown suffered a massive highside during the end stages of the 45 minute qualifying session was taken to a local hospital for scans after landing hard on his back.
CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team)“It rained a little bit at lunchtime’ between the two practice sessions today but it was gone as quickly as it arrived and we were relieved that we were able to ride at all.
There is a little bit of dust and dirt that seems to come down with the rain here so we knew the track conditions would be slick and the lap times wouldn’t come down much.
The reality was that there was so much dirt out there that the softer compound tyres worked virtually like a qualifier and only lasted for a couple of laps.
Even on a race tyre it is hard to predict whether your set-up is going to work because the conditions are different every time we go out so we’re going to have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.
It’s impossible to guess what could happen in the race but generally I’m happy with our set-up and the main thing for us at this early stage is to pick up points, keep working on our weaknesses and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes as last year by getting to the middle of the season with problems to fix.
The whole team are keeping our fingers crossed for Nicky too.
Hopefully he can ride tomorrow but the most important thing is that he’s okay.
”NICKY HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) “I don’t feel like going for a jog right now, I can tell you that much! It was a big crash and I’m in a lot of pain so we’re going to get some more x-rays done and see what the score is”.
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO (Repsol Honda) “I’m very happy of this session.
We did a hard work during the qualifying testing two bikes with two different set up.
Both solutions gave a good feedback, I got a positive feeling and the machine improved.
I’m happy of the rhythm we have found for the race pace with the hard tyres and also the lap times with the soft tyre.
I’m happy also because I had room for improvement also during my last lap with soft tyre, in fact I made a mistake and I spoiled my good time I had a T1.
All in all I’m very satisfied, when we get into racing which suits better with my mentality and I can give my best in racing.
”DANI PEDROSA (REPSOL HONDA)“Well, we’ve made it into the race and that was the aim of coming to Qatar, so I’m pleased with that.
I didn’t expect to improve my lap time by this much from yesterday, so this is good progress.
The leg feels a little better and I pushed harder today than yesterday, though this situation is not something that is fixed after one day.
My lap time is not really so bad considering my condition and the time I’ve spent away from the track, but for sure I wanted to be faster than this and a bit further forward on the grid.
Still, the race is here we’ll get ready to give it the maximum effort tomorrow.
Maybe I can improve my lap times by a further second or so.
”RANDY DE PUNIET (LCR HONDA)“I am happy because we made a good job during the three sessions and improved a lot my feeling on qualifiers.
We made some adjustments on the setting and now the bike turns better and I feel more aggressive in the corner entry.
I was expecting this since a long time, so I feel quite satisfied.
The winter was hard as we missed some track time so we are very pleased with this third row.
I am getting used to Bridgestone tyres and feel more comfortable now.
I aim to finish the race in the top six”.
ALEX DE ANGELIS (SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI)“I think we’re in good shape to have a really good race tomorrow.
I don’t think we’re quite on the pace to be fighting for the podium but we can definitely be in the running for a top result.
I’m really pleased with the race setting but on the softer tyre when we went for a quick lap time the tyre started to lose grip after just a few corners and I wasn’t able to make the most of it.
If we can get a little more grip from the rear on the harder compound that would be great too and that’s what we’ll work on in the warm-up.
Anyway, a third-row start should give me the opportunity to have a nice race and I’m ready for the battle! ”TONI ELIAS (SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI)“I think we’re in good shape to have a really good race tomorrow.
I don’t think we’re quite on the pace to be fighting for the podium but we can definitely be in the running for a top result.
I’m really pleased with the race setting but on the softer tyre when we went for a quick lap time the tyre started to lose grip after just a few corners and I wasn’t able to make the most of it.
If we can get a little more grip from the rear on the harder compound that would be great too and that’s what we’ll work on in the warm-up.
Anyway, a third-row start should give me the opportunity to have a nice race and I’m ready for the battle! ”YUKI TAKAHASHI (SCOT RACING TEAM) “We had several tests to do to improve the bike, and 45 minutes probably is too short a time.
After 20 minutes I decided to use new tyres and went out for fast lap, but I could not find help from any other rider.
I lapped alone, and this made it more difficult.
Anyway, I was able to improve my time and then went back to my box.
We did some adjustments.
to the bike, then out again with just a few minutes to go.
I was in a good group of riders – Dovizioso, De Puniet, Hayden – but Nicky fell down just in front of me.
I had to brake to avoid him, lost time and, when I passed the finish line, they were already waiving the chequered flag”.
VALENTINO ROSSI (FIAT YAMAHA)“I am really happy to be on the front row here because we know that this isn’t one of our best tracks.
We also knew that Stoner would be strong and, although this is definitely true, we’re not too far off and the gap is closing all the time.
Starting second is going to be very important here because there is a question mark over the tyres on this surface.
The asphalt is still very dirty which is hard on the tyres and I think that the last few laps are going to be quite entertaining! There are a couple of places on the track where we can still be faster so we will have a look at the data and I hope we can make another step in the warm up and fix a couple of small problems.
There is definitely a question mark over the last six or seven laps though and I think we could be sliding about a bit.
Anyway, everyone is in the same position, with the same tyres, and it could make it quite fun; let’s wait and see.
”JORGE LORENZO (FIAT YAMAHA)“After being on pole here in my first MotoGP race last year, I am happy to be back on the front row at least! It is going to be important I think because it will be a hard race.
During the test here I was faster with the hard tyre but for some reason we have the opposite situation this time and I am much faster with the soft tyre.
With the hard tyre we have a few issues still, which is a problem because this is the tyre we need to use for the race.
Now we need to work hard to try to solve the problem tonight.
Tomorrow I won’t be thinking about winning, just about doing the best I can and taking as many points as is possible in the circumstances.
Of course you never know what will happen in a race!”LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI)“It has been not too bad overall because we have improved a lot and went one second quicker than we did at the last test here.
The bike is working well and we have found a good setting.
We worked a lot on engine braking and mapping today and the whole team worked really hard to make everything happen.
We tried to use all the time to its best extent and we are able to confirm that the bike is much better here than last year.
I want to thank the whole factory for all the hard work they have put into the bike for this year.
I think our qualifying is not too bad, but the race will be very hard and we will need to fight a lot to get a good result!”CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI)“It has been a much better day for us today.
We really got the tyres sorted out today and we know what we are going to be running tomorrow.
We will certainly be using the harder ones – both front and rear.
We found that the softer rear had a bit more potential for pure lap-time speed, so we saved a couple of those for the qualifying session.
We were able to do three or four laps on each tyre and that suited me.
It felt like the bike was working well and the last tyre was going really well, but I just missed doing a final lap by a couple of seconds.
The lap that I did my best time on was not a perfect lap and I was hoping to get one more lap in and iron out those mistakes.
Starting from the third row is a lot better than it was last year and I’ll try and get a good start and stay with the front group and see what happens at the end of 22-laps!”COLIN EDWARDS (MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3)“I’m reasonably happy with the second row but I thought I had a shot at being in the top three.
But even though I’m a veteran I’m still learning.
I came here with a bike set-up different than what I’ve been running in the winter to cure some movement issues with the front when I push harder.
The new setting is better but I’ve still got some of those issues and it is a little confusing.
Valentino (Rossi) is going fast and he doesn’t have any issues, and Jorge (Lorenzo) is the same.
So I’ve got to figure something out.
I’ve made progress and I feel like I can go faster, but I’m having to anticipate the movement and that is not helping the lap time.
I’ve got to figure out whether I need to go softer or harder with the front forks.
I just wish I were an engineer because right now I’m not sure which direction I need to take.
The new qualifying format was still exciting.
I kept three softer tyres back and did two laps on each, and each time I got faster, but not quite fast enough for the front row.
I’m looking forward to the race now and I feel ready.
The guys in front of me are within touching distance though Casey (Stoner) is on another planet.
Hats off to him, but I’m ready for the battle.
”JAMES TOSELAND (MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3)“I started on a used front tyre that had done thirteen laps and I was straight into the low 58s and I thought great.
I put a new hard front tyre in with my first soft rear tyre and the front never seemed to get to temperature.
And when I put in my second soft rear the front wasn’t so stable mid-corner.
Now you can’t just throw another tyre in with the new rules, so I’m really frustrated because the rear tyre was working pretty good.
To do a 57 with the problems I had I’m actually pleased with that because I picked the bike up on my knee twice and I still did a reasonable lap time.
I’m a bit disappointed because the bike was feeling good and I’m sure I could have got around the top six, but there was nothing I could do with the small issue with the front.
I’ve got to take it on the chin and build on the progress I’ve made prior to the end of that session.
If everything had gone to plan then I’d have qualified in the top ten and been looking at fighting for the top six.
I’m going to need a good start and get my head down but I’m riding well and looking forward to it.
”MotoGP QP Results:1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1′55.
286 337.
1832 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1′55.
759 334.
158 0.
4733 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1′55.
783 336.
973 0.
4974 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1′55.
977 333.
642 0.
6915 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1′56.
149 332.
512 0.
8636 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1′56.
194 330.
882 0.
9087 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1′56.
358 327.
868 1.
0728 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1′56.
493 325.
791 1.
2079 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1′56.
790 332.
103 1.
50410 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1′56.
852 338.
028 1.
56611 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1′56.
962 330.
983 1.
67612 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1′57.
225 333.
848 1.
93913 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1′57.
510 328.
567 2.
22414 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1′57.
729 338.
557 2.
44315 59 Sete GIBERNAU SPA Grupo Francisco Hernando Ducati 1′57.
899 330.
882 2.
61316 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1′58.
215 332.
614 2.
92917 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1′58.
784 327.
968 3.
49818 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1′58.
999 328.
467 3.
713