British GP: Alex De Angelis fastest in crash ridden 250 first qualifying session

Alex De Angelis put himself to the top of the time sheets in the first qualifying session for the 250 class, but his scorching laps in the soaking conditions didn’t come without consequences.

The San Marino rider hit the deck twice in the 45 minute long session, the first nearly getting him ran over by a following machine.

De Angelis wasn’t the only one to fall though.

The first crash happened just 40 seconds into the session when wildcard Luke Lawrence left the pits only to highside coming out of the first turn, Redgate.

With 30 minutes remaining De Angelis was the first to drop under the 1.50 bracket with a 1.49.730 and then went even better eight minutes later with a 1.48.832.

Another Brit wildcard, Andrew Sawford, took a spill joined by Yuki Takahashi and another British wildcard Alex Kenshington all in a spell of just three minutes.

Shuhei Aoyama was next to fall off his Repsol Honda with 12 minutes left to run.

With just over 10 minutes to go Cluzel got a ruffing-up from Metis Gilera rider Marco Simoncelli who, whilst on a hot lap, managed to push his front tyre into the outstretched leg of Frenchman Cluzel.

A minute later Czech rider Karel Abraham took a tumble at McLeans, whilst at the top of the timing table De Angelis was racking up a 1.47.582 that put him a second in front of the second quickest man, his team-mate Alvaro Bautista, and 1.7 seconds ahead of third place Tomas Luthi.

On the next lap however De Angelis lost control of his Master Aprilia coming out of Mcleans and was lucky that Aleix Espagaro was able to take evasive action to narrowly avoid him.

With just three minutes remaining the crash fest really kicked off with Luthi, Julian Simon and Fabrizio Lai going down simultaneously at different corners, and that man again Cluzel capped off a horrific session by highsiding out of Redgate.

Karel Abraham also crashed for the second time with less than a minute left, and Bautista fractionally missed taking out unknowing Ratthapark Wilairot as he and his bike slid along the wet tarmac after he lost the front braking for Foggy’s Esses.

In the closing moments De Angelis went out again and bettered his time with a 1.46.582 and fastest man from this morning, Andrea Dovizioso, leapt up behind him with a 1.46.740.

Defending champion and championship leader, Jorge Lorenzo, moved into fourth behind Bautista but was still 1.4 seconds off the pace of the Master Aprilia.

De Angelis finished a mixed session by crashing for the second time on a final lap.

STANDINGS

1. De Angelis Aprilia  1.46.582
2. Dovizioso Honda  1.46.740
3. Bautista Aprilia  1.47.788
4. Lorenzo Aprilia  1.47.986
5. Simoncelli Gilera  1.48.307
6. Luthi  Aprilia  1.48.333
7. Simon Honda  1.49.035
8. H Aoyama KTM  1.49.279
9. Kallio  KTM  1.49.375
10. Barbera Aprilia  1.49.572
11. Wilairot Honda  1.50.477
12. Lai  Aprilia  1.50.506
13. Locatelli Gilera  1.50.595
14. Laverty Honda  1.50.833
15. Toth Aprilia  1.51.221
16. Espagaro Aprilia  1.51.417

GBR

20. Linfoot Aprilia  1.52.321
25. Markham Yamaha 1.53.254

GBR non qualifiers

Sawford Yamaha 1.56.551
Kenshington Yamaha 1.59.845
Lawrence Honda  2.03.189