It was a strange qualifying session today at the Mugello for most viewers, not seeing Valentino Rossi on a track for the first time since 1996, the reigning World Champion was already undergoing surgery on his fractured tibia after this morning’s massive highside, but as the saying goes, the show must go on.
It was Dani Pedrosa who took today’s pole position, the Spaniard led most of the hour and finally put in a blazing lap 1′48.
819 that would take him to his second pole position of season and the 33rd in his MotoGP career and beating out Jorge Lorenzo who was largely tipped for the pole who finished behind Pedrosa by 0.
177s.
Casey Stoner took third in the final minutes of the hour, but the Aussie is still struggling with his GP10 and did very few laps during compared to the two Spaniards.
Stoner’s third time was over six tenths from the pole.
Nicky Hayden finished in fourth, followed by Colin Edwards who will try to make up for his bad performance at Le Mans and closing row two will be Randy de Puniet in sixth, the Frenchman always fast on soft tires.
Seventh went to Ben Spies who is racing at the Mugello for the first time and was a little more than one second from Pedrosa.
Andrea Dovizioso compared to his Honda team mate was only eighth, while Aleix Espargaro took ninth and Hiroshi Aoyama completing the top ten, after riding as high as fifthDespite all the fairing changes on his Honda, Marco Simoncelli will start in eleventh, Loris Capirossi who finished in third in yesterday’s free practice dropped back to take twelfth with problems on both his Suzuki’s.
Hector Barbera and Marco Melandri were thirteenth and fourteenth respectively while Mika Kallio and Alvaro Bautista who are still unfit after their injuries round out the reduced 16 rider grid.
MotoGP Mugello Qualifying Results:01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 1′48.
81902- Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
17703- Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 0.
61304- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 0.
72705- Colin Edwards – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.
86406- Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 0.
91807- Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.
04208- Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – + 1.
24609- Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.
34910- Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda MotoGP – Honda RC212V – + 1.
40511- Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.
61512- Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 1.
66013- Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 1.
74214- Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – + 1.
84515- Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – + 2.
15116- Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – Suzuki GSV-R – + 4.
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