MotoGP: Valentino Rossi Surprises with Motegi Pole

Photo by Gold & Goose

Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi scored a stunning pole Saturday for the Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi. The popular Italian had been struggling to find speed much of the weekend before discovering a stronger pace in qualifying. It marked the 54^th MotoGP pole of Rossi’s career.

Rossi pulled out an almost magic lap of 1:43.954 in the closing seconds of Q2 to win the pole. Honda’s Marc Marquez, who’d been fastest all session, tried to respond, but a lapse of concentration at turn five caused Marquez to run wide, ruining a potential pole lap.

Jorge Lorenzo brought big smiles by coming back from a crash earlier in the day where he was airlifted to the hospital came back to qualify third, putting two Yamaha’s on the front row.

Rossi was thrilled with his Motegi qualifying result.

“It’s fantastic, because is the third pole position of the season and this is a good number,” Rossi said. “Also we struggled during the weekend to find the right setting and also I’m not at 100 percent. I’m a little bit sick and not fantastic physically. But before FP4 we did a great job as a team and we find a good balance, also in the Free Practice I was not so bad and I did a very good lap. Very good braking in turn 11, very good in the fast corner and when I saw 43.9 I was very happy. So, it will be very important to start from the pole tomorrow and now we will see.”

It was series leader Marquez who came out swinging on the factory Honda and established the fastest time early in Q2.

Alvaro Bautista crashed on the opening lap of the final session at turn nine and walked away from his Aprilia. Cal Crutchlow also fell late in the session, the yellow flag flying for his accident possibly causing Marquez to slow on his final qualifying lap.

Honda’s Dani Pedrosa will miss the race after being diagnosed with a broken right collarbone after his Friday crash. He will head back to Spain to undergo treatment. His participation in the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix looks doubtful.

“I’m obviously very sad about what happened, as I was looking forward to racing in Japan at Honda’s home circuit and one of my favorite tracks,” Pedrosa said. “I was on the out-lap of my last run in FP2 when I momentarily lost the rear entering turn 11, and when the tire found grip again it launched me in the air. There’s not much more to say; now I just want to focus on recovering in order to get back on my bike as soon as possible.”

HRC have called up test rider Hiroshi Aoyama to replace Pedrosa this weekend.

The race on Sunday takes the green flag at 1:00am Eastern on Sunday morning.

MOTUL GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN MotoGP Qualifying Nr. 2 Classification Motegi, Saturday, October 15, 2016