Jorge Lorenzo clinched his first pole of the season for Sunday’s Estoril MotoGP after a late crash dashed Marco Simoncelli’s hopes.
Spain’s reigning champion Lorenzo, who is seeing his fourth successive win at the track, recorded a time of 1:37.161.
Simoncelli will start second on the grid, with Honda’s Dani Pedrosa filling the last spot on the front row.
Lorenzo heads the rider’s standings by nine points following his recent success in his home race in Jerez.
Click Here to Read More
MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo Claims Pole For Portuguese Grand Prix
MotoGP: Marco Simoncelli Fastest in First Practice at Estoril
MotoGP: Portuguese Grand Prix - First Practice Results
MotoGP: Marco Simoncelli Fastest in Second Practice at Estoril
MotoGP: Portuguese Grand Prix - Second Practice Results
MotoGP: Loris Capirossi Fastest in Final Practice at Estoril
MotoGP: Portuguese Grand Prix - Final Practice Results
Qualifying took place on a dry track despite Friday’s damp conditions during practice, although temperatures were cooler and the threat of rain ever present. BBC Sport
Lorenzo’s Yamaha Factory Racing team mate Ben Spies was fifth fastest, ahead of the third Repsol Honda rider, Andrea Dovizioso on the second row. The Italian won here in 2006 in the 250cc category and was on the rostrum here last season.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow were seventh and eighth respectively on the third row. The American was seventh in Portugal last year, but less than four seconds away from a spot on the rostrum. Crutchlow was only a tenth off his team mate on his first appearance at the Estoril circuit in his debut MotoGP season.
The highest placed Ducati was the rider with the best record at the circuit. Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team), who has had ten podium finishes here, was ninth quickest and just edged out the second Ducati of Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar Team). The top ten riders were within 1.202s of each other. Rossi’s team mate Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) was in 13th, rookie Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) continued his form from the weekend to qualify in 12th. motogp.com
Pos. Num. Rider Team Time 1 1 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha Factory Racing 1'37.161 2 58 Marco SIMONCELLISan Carlo Honda Gresini 1'37.294 3 26 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'37.324 4 27 Casey STONER Repsol Honda Team 1'37.384 5 11 Ben SPIES Yamaha Factory Racing 1'37.866 6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSORepsol Honda Team 1'38.073 7 5 Colin EDWARDS Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'38.080 8 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'38.189 9 46 Valentino ROSSI Ducati Team 1'38.271 10 8 Hector BARBERA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1'38.363 11 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'38.497 12 17 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1'38.786 13 69 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 1'38.922 14 65 Loris CAPIROSSI Pramac Racing Team 1'38.934 15 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'39.172 16 14 Randy DE PUNIET Pramac Racing Team 1'39.378 17 24 Toni ELIAS LCR Honda MotoGP 1'39.894
| 
|