Set to run a tribute livery to Lupin III, ‘the Gentleman Thief’ on Sunday, Jorge Lorenzo stole the show at Motegi with a new pole position record. When all eyes were on Fiat Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi and reigning World Champion Casey Stoner at the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, Lorenzo tore up the script in qualifying for a fourth pole position of his rookie MotoGP season.
On course for pole in the final minutes of the Saturday afternoon session, the Spaniard pulled another hot lap from up his sleeve to record a blistering 1’45.543 time in the final seconds of the afternoon run. Having stepped onto the podium every time that he has taken off from the front row –including at the last two races- Lorenzo is a favourite for a spot on the rostrum at the track where he has only finished in the top three on one occasion.
“It was an amazing lap. I didn’t think I could do it. But after the first qualifying today, I thought maybe I had a chance,” Lorenzo said. “This is a very good result for us.”
RossI, who last won a world championship in 2005, can wrap up the title with a podium finish. He holds an 87-point lead over Stoner with four races left this season.
Defending world champion and Ducati ace Casey Stoner of Australia posted the second best time of 1:45.831 on the 4.8-kilometre (three-mile) stop-and-go Motegi track, ahead of American Honda rider Nicky Hayden at 1:45.971.
Italian ace Rossi was fourth fastest at 1:46.060 to stay in the hunt for his sixth premier-class world title.
The 29-year-old Rossi only needs to finish third here—even if his nearest rival in the championship Stoner wins the race for 25 GP points—to take the world title, his first in three years.
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