TOSELAND BACK IN TOP TEN
James Toseland bounced back from his Indianapolis disaster to grab a top ten start at the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi this afternoon (Saturday). The 27 year old Yorkshireman qualified tenth fastest round the 2.983 mile circuit north of Tokyo and will start the 24 lap race, round 15 of the MotoGP World Championship, from the fourth row of the grid.
It was the Tech 3 Yamaha rider’s first appearance at Motegi and he improved every session and was finally just 1.3 seconds behind pole setter Jorge Lorenzo. Toseland will look to the warm-up tomorrow morning to continue his improvement before the actual race.
“I’m feeling positive ahead of tomorrow’s race,” said Toseland”. Even though we have more work to do in tomorrow morning’s warm-up session. The most important thing is that we have continued to improve with every session so far and the bike and tyres seem to be working well here. We’ve got two Michelin riders on the front row, including Jorge Lorenzo on pole position, which fills me with confidence.”
LORENZO STEALS ROSSI’S MOTEGI THUNDER
Valentino Rossi may clinch his eighth world title tomorrow but it was his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo who stole the limelight in a frenzied one hour MotoGP qualifying session at Motegi.
The double 250 cc World Champion set the fastest ever motor cycle lap round the 2.983 miles circuit that was built and is owned by Honda to take his fourth pole position of the season. His last pole was at the third grand prix of the season in Portugal and he went on to win the race.
The Spaniard is joined on the front of the grid for the 24 lap race by current World Champion Casey Stoner who was second fastest despite problems with his qualifying tyres and a giant Japanese bug that splattered on his visor. Completing that front row is 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden riding the Repsol Honda and who joins Stoner at Marlboro Ducati next season.
Rossi, who has won the last four grands prix and holds an 87 point Championship lead over Stoner starts from the second row after qualifying fourth. He is joined on the second row by Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi who’s won the Motegi MotoGP race for the last three years.
Italian Rossi still has a great chance of clinching the title tomorrow. Even if Stoner wins the race, third place would still be enough him to regain the title he lost two years ago.
REDDING LEADS THE BRITS AS SMITH FALLS
Fifteen year old Scot Redding continued his amazing World Championship debut season by qualifying sixth in the 125 cc class but it was not such good news for Bradley Smith who crashed and finally qualified 14th.
Gloucestershire teenager Redding was in brilliant form on the Blusens Aprilia. On his first ever visit to Motegi he starts from the second row of the grid, less than seven tenths of one second behind pole setter and Championship leader Frenchman Mike Di Meglio.
Seventeen year old Smith fancied his chances of pole after leading the way in the dry morning practice on the Polaris World Aprilia. However, he crashed without injury in the second qualifying session and starts from the fourth row of the grid.
Kent-based Danny Webb was 18th but less than one and a half seconds behind Di Meglio.
| | Qualifying Times: | | |
| | | |
| | FRONT ROW | | |
| | | |
| 1. | Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) | Fiat Yamaha Team | 1'45.543 |
| 2. | Casey Stoner (AUS) | Ducati Marlboro | 1'45.831 |
| 3. | Nicky Hayden (USA) | Repsol Honda | 1'45.971 |
| | | | |
| SECOND ROW | |
| | | | |
| 4. | Valentino Rossi (ITA) | Fiat Yamaha Team | 1'46.060 |
| 5. | Dani Pedrosa (SPA) | Repsol Honda | 1'46.303 |
| 6. | Loris Capirossi (ITA) | Rizla Suzuki MotoGP | 1'46.450 |
| | | | |
| THIRD ROW | |
| | | | |
| 7. | Colin Edwards (USA) | Tech 3 Yamaha | 1'46.496 |
| 8. | Randy De Puniet (FRA) | LCR Honda MotoGP | 1'46.554 |
| 9. | Shinya Nakano (JPN) | San Carlo Honda Gresini | 1'46.616 |
| | | | |
| FOURTH ROW
| |
| | | | |
| 10. | James Toseland (GBR) | Tech 3 Yamaha | 1'46.863 |
| 11. | John Hopkins (USA) | Kawasaki Racing | 1'46.888 |
| 12. | Chris Vermeulen (AUS) | Rizla Suzuki | 1'46.904 |
| | | | |
| FIFTH ROW
| |
| | | | |
| 13. | Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) | JiR Team Scot MotoGP | 1'46.907 |
| 14. | Toni Elias (SPA) | Alice Team | 1'47.400 |
| 15. | Marco Melandri (ITA) | Ducati Marlboro | 1'47.475 |
| | | | |
| SIXTH ROW
| |
| | | | |
| 16. | Anthony West (AUS) | Kawasaki Racing | 1'47.669 |
| 17. | Alex De Angelis (RSM) | San Carlo Honda Gresini | 1'47.680 |
