planetearth
There Can Be Only One
Number of posts : 3271
Registration date : 2007-02-03
 |  Subject: Pedrosa pole as favourites hit the front.  Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:04 am | |
| - Quote :
- After three free practice sessions full of surprises, pre-race favourites Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi rose to the top during qualifying for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.
The pair had previously battled for the fastest lap, and a new BMW, during the final pre-season test at the same circuit - but this time it was home-hero Pedrosa who gained the upper hand, by just 0.051secs over the former five-times MotoGP world champion.
However, unlike at the test, the top two held only the slimmest of advantages over the rest of the field - led by an inspired Carlos Checa. The Spanish veteran had turned heads by being fastest on Friday, proved it was no fluke by repeating the position on Saturday morning - then qualified his satellite-spec LCR Honda just 0.07secs from Rossi's Fiat Yamaha for a front row start.
That came at the expense of Colin Edwards, who was nudged back to fourth by just 0.026secs, while Qatar winner Casey Stoner - fastest for the first half of the session - settled into a competitive fifth just in front of Rizla Suzuki's John Hopkins. Amazingly, Hopper lapped just 0.223secs from pole on a day when the top ten was covered by just 0.325secs!
After a tough practice, Shinya Nakano raised smiles in the Konica Minolta Honda pits with seventh on the grid, while Gresini Honda team-mates Toni Elias and Marco Melandri will start side-by-side in eighth and ninth. Kenny Roberts Jr, fastest in Friday's first free practice, jumped from 18th to tenth on his very last lap.
Another American, reigning world champion Nicky Hayden, again suffered in the warmer afternoon temperatures and could qualify just 11th for Repsol Honda, while Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet slipped from pole with 23-minutes to go to twelfth at the chequered flag.
However, the most disappointed rider on Saturday afternoon was surely Loris Capirossi; the Italian will start his 250th grand prix from a lowly 15th position - ten places behind team-mate Stoner - despite lapping within one-second of Pedrosa... Crash | |
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