Jorge Lorenzo and his Fiat Yamaha crew got their strategy right to secure an important front row start during a complicated qualifying session in Sepang today, the rookie’s eighth of the season and fifth in a row. Lorenzo will start from third with team-mate Valentino Rossi beside him in second and Dani Pedrosa on pole.
A dry morning session gave the leading rookie time to make further improvements to his race-setting and he finished in third, but by late morning the weather had turned and an hour of heavy rain left the track soaking for the start of the MotoGP practice. Once the sun came out the track began to dry rapidly and conditions were changing by the minute, but the Spaniard and his crew did a good job of choosing the right Michelin tyre for the right moment and he was competitive throughout. A fast final lap left him in second behind Rossi but Dani Pedrosa had the edge and pushed the pair down to second and third, nonetheless leaving Lorenzo in a good position to launch his podium challenge in tomorrow’s 21-lap race.
Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 3rdTime: 2’02.171Laps: 19
“It was a strange session today but as the track began to get more and more dry I thought that it would be possible to try for the pole position. I made some good laps but I think in the end, and after so many laps in the wet, I wasn’t quite at the maximum in the dry and I didn’t do the fastest possible lap I could have. Anyway this front row is very important because I am determined to be back on the podium tomorrow and now we are in good shape to fight for that. I hope that the weather is better tomorrow and that we can have a dry race, our bike is working so well here and I am looking forward to the battle.”
Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
“This was a very different kind of qualifying session because the track changed so much, but it was great fun and very exciting! The team worked very well and we chose the best tyre for the right conditions each time, so this helped us to be competitive throughout. This morning’s session was also very encouraging because we improved a lot from yesterday and our race pace is now very good. We’re starting from the front row and we’re in good shape so we are expecting an exciting race tomorrow.”
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