Misano MotoGP: Barbera keeps up the pace to take 1st in final qualifying

Hector Barbera kept up the pace he set earlier today in free practice to claim the top slot on the timesheets in the final 250cc qualifying session.

Barbera fended off Simoncelli in the final qualifying session today, but it was certainly close. Simoncelli was just 0.077 of a second slower than his rival Hector Barbera.

Spanish rider Aleix Espargaro took third place, giving him his first ever front row start in tomorrow’s race.

Yuki Takahashi claimed 4th place for JiR Team Scot 250 ahead of his countryman Hiroshi Aoyama who took 5th position.

Sixth place went to Thomas Luthi of the Emmi Caffe Latte team, closely followed by Spaniards Julian Simon and Hector Faubel.

That left Mattia Pasini of the Polaris World team and Mika Kallio on his Red Bull KTM 250 to round out the top ten.

1  Hector BARBERA   SPA  Team Toth Aprilia   Aprilia  1’38.047   
2  Marco SIMONCELLI  ITA  Metis Gilera    Gilera   1’38.124  
3  Aleix ESPARGARO  SPA  Lotus Aprilia    Aprilia  1’38.813   
4  Yuki TAKAHASHI   JPN  JiR Team Scot 250   Honda   1’38.822  
5  Hiroshi AOYAMA   JPN  Red Bull KTM 250   KTM   1’38.869  
6  Thomas LUTHI   SWI  Emmi – Caffe Latte   Aprilia  1’38.961  
7  Julian SIMON   SPA  Repsol KTM 250cc   KTM   1’39.009  
8  Hector FAUBEL   SPA  Mapfre Aspar Team   Aprilia  1’39.058  
9  Mattia PASINI   ITA  Polaris World    Aprilia  1’39.130  
10  Mika KALLIO   FIN  Red Bull KTM 250   KTM   1’39.165  
11  Alvaro BAUTISTA  SPA  Mapfre Aspar Team   Aprilia  1’39.217  
12  Alex DEBON   SPA  Lotus Aprilia    Aprilia  1’39.402  
13  Lukas PESEK   CZE  Auto Kelly – CP   Aprilia  1’39.749  
14  Ratthapark WILAIROT  THA  Thai Honda PTT SAG   Honda   1’39.875  
15  Fabrizio LAI   ITA  Campetella Racing   Gilera   1’39.963  
16  Roberto LOCATELLI  ITA  Metis Gilera    Gilera   1’39.980  
17  Federico SANDI   ITA  Matteoni Racing   Aprilia  1’41.205  
18  Eugene LAVERTY   IRL  Blusens Aprilia   Aprilia  1’41.212  
19  Karel ABRAHAM   CZE  Cardion AB Motoracing   Aprilia  1’41.334  
20  Manuel HERNANDEZ  SPA  Blusens Aprilia   Aprilia  1’41.513  
21  Toni WIRSING   GER  Racing Team Germany   Honda   1’42.620  
22  Simone GROTZKYJ  ITA  Campetella Racing   Gilera   1’42.756  
23  Doni Tata PRADITA  INA  Yamaha Pertamina Indonesia  Yamaha   1’42.992  
24  Imre TOTH   HUN  Team Toth Aprilia   Aprilia  1’43.841  

Out of limit time
 Alen GYORFI   HUN  Motorcycle Competition Service  Honda    
 Alex BALDOLINI   ITA  Matteoni Racing   Aprilia