Factory Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo has bagged pole position for tomorrow's Estoril MotoGP race by just a tenth of a second from long-time leader and crasher Marco Simoncelli while Britain's Cal Crutchlow was busted off the second row by a late lap from team-mate Colin Edwards.
Lorenzo lapped in 1'37.161 to take the lead from Gresini Honda's Simoncelli, who had been leading the Spaniard by a massive six-tenths, before the Italian crashed going into turn one with only five minutes of the session remaining. “The times are very close, but that was a good lap for me, but now looking to the race, that will be very close," said Lorenzo.
Simoncelli added: "I am disappointed not to take pole but I was pushing a bit too hard, made a little mistake and lost the front end of the bike, but I am happy with the rhythm I have for the race.”
Crutchlow, meanwhile, was sitting pretty in sixth place and only a second off the pace with a minute left of the session but laps by Edwards and Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso saw him bumped down to eighth as the chequered flag came out.
A lastl-lap dash by Dani Pedrosa was only just good enough to keep him on the front row while team-mate Casey Stoner could only muster fourth quickest but is only a quarter of a second in arrears. Ben Spies was also busted down the order from third to fifth.
Marlboro Ducati's Valentino Rossi was nearly caught out by a cold tyre on an out lap, getting lifted out of his seat and the Italian finished in ninth behind Crutchlow while the satellite Ducati of Hector Barbera rounds out the top ten.
