MotoGP world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo claimed his fourth successive pole position of the season in Germany today after a dramatic qualifying session at the Sachsenring circuit.
Less than four minutes of the session remained when the Fiat Yamaha rider surged to the top of the timesheets with a best lap of 1.21.817 that deposed compatriot Dani Pedrosa.
Lorenzo’s best time was good enough to fend off a late rally from Australian rider Casey Stoner.
Stoner looked like he was going to claim his first pole position since the opening round of the campaign in Qatar when he was faster than Lorenzo in the second and third sections of the tight and twisty circuit.
But he came across Colin Edwards and lost precious time and missed out on pole position by just 0.024s. The 2007 world champion ended with a best time of 1.21.841.
Pedrosa was third to claim his first front row start since last month’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Motorcycle News
Row two will be led by Andrea Dovizioso on the second Repsol Honda, the Italian failing to crack into the 1:21s with his 1:22.263 just .132 of a second faster than Valentino Rossi. Rossi’s best was a 1:22.395 and it put him fifth in his return to racing after breaking his lower right leg just six weeks ago at the Italian Grand Prix. Rossi is just .578 of a second off Lorenzo.
Hector Barbera had his best MotoGP qualifying performance of the season and he’ll fill row two on the Paginas Amarallis Aspar Ducati.
De Puniet will start from row three if healthy and he’ll be joined there by San Carlo Honda’s Marco Simoncelli and Pramac Racing’s Aleix Espargaro.
Marco Melandri rounded out the top 10. Cycle News
Qualifying was held up for 15 minutes after Lorenzo’s bike broke down with oil spilling out onto the Sachsenring circuit at the start of the straight by the grandstand, which caused two spectacular crashes.
American Ben Spies first parted company with his Honda and his team-mate Randy de Puniet then somersaulted off his machine.
The French rider returned to the pits on the back of a scooter before undergoing x-rays on his ankle and right tibia. Indiatimes
Click Here to Read More:
MotoGP: German Grand Prix - Race Line Up
MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa Fastest in First Practice at Sachsenring
MotoGP: German Grand Prix - First Practice Results
MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Fastest in Second Practice at Sachsenring
MotoGP: German Grand Prix - Second Practice Results
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