FIAT Yamaha‘s Jorge Lorenzo will start on pole position for tomorrow’s Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, after heavy rain caused qualifying for all 3 categories; 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP. Heavy rain and strong winds had plagued Friday practice and sadly the weather failed to relent for Saturday.
With the track holding water like a bath, Race Control tried to postpone the session, but at 2:30pm local time, the session was canceled, handing Lorenzo his 7th pole of the season. Ducati’s Nicky Hayden will line up alongside the champion with FIAT Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi starting in 3rd.
The 2nd row will be comprised of Ducati’s Casey Stoner with Monster Yamaha Tech3 rookie Ben Spies in 5th and Marco Melandri lines up in 6th on his San Carlo Gresini Honda, with all 3 riders claiming a top six spot with their FP2 times.
Andrea Dovizioso will line up in a lowly 7th, after hoping for a higher finishing position. LCR Honda’s Randy De Puniet managed to put in a solid time in FP1 to park his satellite Honda in 8th next to his factory counterpart. Row 3 is completed by Colin Edwards on the 2nd Monster Yamaha Tech3.
Row 4 is headed by Marco Simonchelli on the sister San Carlo Gresini Honda with Aleix Espargaro grabbing a higher position than usual in 11th with the returning
The pair of Rizla Suzuki/strong>s lead Row five, with Loris Capirossi leading Alvaro Bautista, with the pair leading Paginas Amarillas Aspar rider Hector Barbera. Row six sees Hiroshi Aoyama in 16th on the Interwetten Honda ahead of Carlos Checa, who is starting his first MotoGP since Valencia 2007, starting plum last on the second Pramac Ducati.
