Casey Stoner continued to dominate in Qatar, claiming pole position for the season-opening FIM MotoGP World Championship race.
The Australian, chasing a fourth successive victory at the desert track, managed a best lap of one minute 55.007 seconds - over two-tenths better than the time he managed in qualifying last year.
Reigning champion Valentino Rossi will start from second on the grid with his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in third. SkySports
Stoner said: “You never know what’s going to happen on Sunday, so we’re not playing our chances down, we’re just being realistic. We’ve been let down in the past a few times when things have looked good – it’s one thing to start the season strong but you have to finish it strong. We’re going to try and stay a bit more focused this year, and pole position is definitely the best way to start off the season.”
The Australian admitted there were still a few minor tweaks to make, and that he was not totally content with his set-up. “It’s still not 100%, we found something in this last session,” he explained. “In FP2 we really struggled because we had a problem with the front brakes and we lost a lot of set-up time, but in general the bike is working well enough and we can sort out a few things tomorrow in warm-up.”
Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo looks to be in good shape despite some concerns over his fitness that were still lingering at the start of the weekend. Any such questions were answered with a strong display that had been hinted at in practice, as the Spaniard timed in at just over half a second off Stoner’s pace to complete the front row.
Heading up the second row for the inaugural race of 2010 will be Randy de Puniet. The LCR Honda rider’s progression throughout the weekend continued with a best time of 1’55.831, putting him in fourth position and making him not only the fastest Honda on the starting grid but also the highest placed private rider. MotoGP
Loris Capirossi, on a Suzuki, will start a record-breaking 300th Grand Prix from fifth place.
The veteran, with a time of 1:55.899, was ahead of fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso on a Honda.
Rossi said he was happy with his performance after modifications were made to his bike after Friday’s practice.
“My final flying lap was very fast but then I had to pass a couple of riders in the final sector and I lost some time, but anyway we have a good grid position so I am happy,” said the 31 year-old Italian.
“A strong start is going to be very important and we will have to push hard on the first lap to try to stay close to Stoner, who is always very strong here. Honestly I think it will be tough to beat him but we will try our best.” AFP
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