Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo bagged pole position in today’s final MotoGP qualifying session at Misano and has team-mate Valentino Rossi with him on the front row as reigning champion Marc Marquez could only muster fourth place.
Lorenzo’s fastest lap was a 1’33.238 to take his first pole of the year but he was only 0.051s ahead of second place man Andrea Iannone who chased Yonny Hernandez and Marc Marquez down to set the fastest time of 1’33.289 until Lorenzo appeared and spoiled the party with his last run.
Rossi, who led free practice four, was less than a tenth behind Lorenzo while Repsol Honda’s Marquez last lap was just not enough. The Spaniard had switched to his second bike, as sometimes he does, in order get in an extra lap but it was not enough and he ended with a 1’33.360 on his ninth circuit.
Dani Pedrosa, on the second Repsol bike, was fifth ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, whose run of front-row starts ground to a halt. He had Hernandez behind him on his final run and shook his head as he came over the line.
The Espargaro brothers occupy the head of row three with Pol the quicker while Bradley Smith is ninth, one place of Stefan Bradl, who had to fight his way through qualifying one with Hernandez. The Columbian has been on fire all weekend and ended in 11th and only one second off the pace. Alvaro Bautista could only manage 12th.
Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow had another disaster on his last exit. A sensor problem meant his traction control elected not to work at the British rider could do nothing but sit and watch Bradl and Hernandez push him out of a qualifying two spot. An angry Crutchlow gave the team a round of applause and stormed out of the garage. He will start in 13th.
Scott Redding crashed in free practice four and fell again in qualfying two but managed to stay as top production Honda. He was pushed hard by the Aspar due of Hiro Aoyama and Leon Camier, who was only three-tenths slower that Redding.
PBM’s Michael Laverty put in a brilliant turn of pace to finish in 18th place, ahead of the Forward Yamaha of Alex De Angelis, with a 1’35.589 just 1.5s off the pace.
