MotoGP – Losail QP1 – Valentino Rossi on pole by 5 thousandths over Stoner!

Not a bad start to the season. Limited tyres, engines (it would be better to say maps) from Qualifying, drivers fired up, the show was served. Even the best colossal would not succeed without its best interpreters, and so today in Losail 60 minutes of qualifying for refined palates were experienced, with 5 thousandths deciding the fate of the pole position, harpooned by Valentino Rossi (the 46th of his career ) with the record time of 1'55″002. Five measly thousandths were enough for the Doctor, on his first pole at Losail for a Yamaha YZR M1 800cc which goes wonderfully, lapping (even with Colin Edwards, third on the grid to close the front row) stronger than everyone even in terms of race pace. So the race has already been written? Absolutely no. Rossi, Edward he was a surprise in terms of race pace (and is fourth, best Honda on the grid). On the map of the unknowns that would recommend an accurate vision tomorrow at 5pm Italian time the first race of the year, where HRC is experiencing a moment of difficulty both with Pedrosa (13th although in the tests 5 days ago he was the fastest) and with World Champion Nicky Hayden, only ninth. Substantial improvements compared to yesterday, but the subdivision of the project according to the different riding needs of the two riders (Pedrosa more "composed" and cleaner, Hayden more "mean" and with extensive use of the rear brake) seem to have disoriented the Tokyo giant, struggling with an 20cc that lacks power (800 rpm yes, but Ducati and Yamaha are ahead in terms of top speed) and doesn't give Nicky Hayden the right feeling at the front: it's enough just to see him in the saddle at the entrance at Turn 20.000 where you no longer slingshot like in the recent past. Let's wait, see, evaluate. For the moment Valentino Rossi in pole position, but what a struggle with Casey Stoner being so competitive...

Qualifying Play-by-Play Report

13:50 – Green light, start to the single round of timed trials valid for defining the starting grid. Everyone on the track passionately, the World Champion among the first to hit the Losail track

13:53 – Kenny Roberts Jr returns after the installation lap: there is still something to check on his Honda-powered KR212V

13:56 – Straight onto the sand of turn 1 for Olivier Jacque, who arrived very fast at the entrance at almost 300 mph. The Kawasaki rider manages to get back on track without any problems

13:59 – John Hopkins, provisional pole position in 1'57"023, not without risking a violent fall in the same stretch where he fractured his scaphoid 20 days ago

14:01 – Tremendous risk for Marco Melandri: in the curve that leads onto the pit straight he brakes late, braking too much on the front, risking a bad fall also involving Toni Elias in front of him! Melandri continues straight on the sand (in the desert one might say...) and will manage to get back on the track without any problem

14:03 – Capirossi also went long at turn 1, attempting an imprudent braking to pass Colin Edwards in front of him

14:04 – New provisional pole position for Colin Edwards: 1'56″588

14:12 – The forehand saga continues: this time Toni Elias is the protagonist. Coincidentally, all the riders who finished "long" are on Bridgestone tyres...

14:13 – Soft tire and off we go, Randy De Puniet momentarily in pole position: 1'56"331, almost 7 tenths above Casey Stoner's 2006 record

14:26 – Second time for Casey Stoner, 162 thousandths behind De Puniet, still leader

14:28 – Fall for Shinya Nakano: front crashes at turn 4, nice tumble fortunately without physical consequences. At the JiR garage they are already preparing the second RC212V

14:31 – Provisional pole position for Colin Edwards: after three "blue helmets" the Texas Tornado manages to improve De Puniet's time at T4, 1'56"227 for him (with new tire but far from qualifying)

14:33 – Colin Edwards further reduced his time: 1'56″156

14:39 – Pole position for Casey Stoner! The Ducatista stops the clock at 1'55"794, but be careful because with 10 minutes to go there is a proliferation of red helmets!

14:41 – De Puniet, after being the fastest in the first three split times, finished second, 252 thousandths behind Stoner. Meanwhile, Hayden climbs up to fifth place with chewing gum, but watch out for the Yamahas...

14:42 – Valentino Rossi is second, a paltry 54 thousandths behind Casey Stoner, losing a little at T3 compared to the Ducatista

14:42 – A few moments after Valentino it's Colin Edwards' moment: 1'55"654, provisional pole position and new lap record, 29 thousandths below the 2006 reference set by Casey Stoner (at the time riding the Honda RC211V of the LCR team)

14:47 – Everyone on the track, but everyone slowed down, looking for as much space as possible so as not to have their qualifying lap obstructed by external agents: Rossi, Stoner, Capirossi, Hayden, they're all there!

14:49 – Pole position for Casey Stoner, 1'55″007, a record time!

14:50 – Valentino Rossi's response: 1'55″002, 5 thousandths under the Ducatista's time, incredible!

14:51 – It's official: pole position for Valentino Rossi, Stoner second ahead of Edwards, Elias, Pedrosa, Hopkins and Capirossi. Nicky Hayden ninth, Melandri behind him with the Ilmors closing the starting grid. Tomorrow, at 15:00 pm (13:00 pm in Italy) the race over a distance of 22 laps

The immediate declarations of the protagonists

Valentino Rossi: “It's my pole number 46 and it was very nice: we started off on the right foot. We still have to see which tires to use for the race but I'm satisfied. They were 15 minutes of fire, 1'55 and zero is a great time! We're not in a bad situation in terms of pace, we still have to decide on the tyres, in fact with the new regulation (limited tyres) we need to think more about this. I can see Colin (Edwards) well and then also Stoner and Melandri. I think it will be a good fight."

Casey Stoner: “Last year I was lucky to get pole, in fact I was fast with the qualifying tires but not with the race ones. This year, however, we did very well with both and even if it won't be easy I'm confident.”

Colin Edwards: “I'm happy with my performance, with the new tire regulations we test more carefully and we work better in free practice. I like the track a lot and it's not difficult for me to turn fast. I am satisfied."

Alessio Piana