MotoGP news

Pedrosa scores pole at Motegi

Repsol-Honda rider Dani Pedrosa will start Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix from pole position. The 21-year-old Spaniard has been fastest all weekend so far and was also in qualifying unstoppable. Pedrosa was almost half a second faster than Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden, who will join him on the front row tomorrow. Stoner will start from ninth.

Before qualifying got under way Dani Pedrosa was the big favourite to score pole position at Motegi. The Repsol rider was fighting for pole from the very first minute the qualifying session began.

It was Kawasaki rider Randy de Puniet who started the battle. The Frenchman did went of for a moment going into the first corner, but he wasn't the only one today. Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner and Colin Edwards also missed their braking points at the first corner.

Halfway into the session Randy de Puniet and team-mate Anthony West were leading the session. The qualifying tyres came out and Dani Pedrosa got the most out of them setting a time of 1,46,543. The Spaniard would eventually improve his time to a 1m45,864.

The best rider from Japan became Shinya Nakano. The Konica Minolta rider will start his home Grand Prix in twelfth position. His country fellows Kousuki Akiyoshi, Makoto Tamada and Akira Yanagawa will start from 13th, 16th and 18th.

Kurtis Roberts didn't even get close today. He will start the race from last position in P21.

more news

• 28 Nov.
  • Photos: Thursday in Jerez
• 27 Nov.
  • Hayden wraps up Ducati test
  • Rossi sets second day pace
• 26 Nov.
  • Photos: Wednesday in Jerez
  • Stoner watches on as Hayden gets used to Ducati
  • Rossi happy with first day
  • Pedrosa sets pace on first day at Jerez
• 21 Nov.
  • "Valentino would have been an excellent F1 driver"
• 20 Nov.
  • Rossi doing well at Mugello in F2008
• 04 Nov.
  • FIAT extends Yamaha sponsorship
• 28 Oct.
  • Hayden debuts at Ducati
  • Dovizioso enjoys first day at Repsol Honda
• 27 Oct.
  • Photos: Monday in Valencia
  • Stoner fastest on first day of testing
• 26 Oct.
  • Photos: Sunday in Valencia
  • Stoner storms to Spanish win
• 25 Oct.
  • Photos: Saturday in Valencia
  • Stoner steals Valencia pole
  • Hayden stays top in final practice
• 24 Oct.
  • Hayden happy with perfect start
  • Rossi looks for improvement
  • Photos: Friday in Valencia
  • Hayden finished Friday on top
  • Hayden fastest in first practice
  • Gibernau confirmed for 2009
• 23 Oct.
  • West hopes to return to MotoGP one day
• 19 Oct.
  • Stoner steals runner-up spot
  • Rossi celebrates ninth win
  • Photos: Sunday at Sepang
  • Rossi storms to victory
• 18 Oct.
  • Photos: Saturday at Sepang
  • Pedrosa steals last gasp pole
  • West fastest in final practice
• 17 Oct.
  • Photos: Friday at Sepang
  • Rossi looking strong at Sepang
  • Stoner looking for more from tyres
  • Edwards fastest in second practice
  • Yamaha leads first practice in Malaysia
• 13 Oct.
  • Guintoli joins British Superbikes
• 05 Oct.
  • Photos: Sunday at Phillip Island

Homepage