Donington MotoGP Sunday Guide

This is Valentino Rossi’s fourth pole at Donington on a MotoGP machine. His three previous MotoGP poles at Donington have all ended in victory.

If Valentino Rossi finishes in the top three he will set an new outright record of 160 podium finishes in Grand Prix racing. Giacomo Agostini’s existing record of 159 podium finishes has stood since 1977.

If Dani Pedrosa finishes ninth or higher he will have scored more points during his Grand Prix career than any other Spanish rider in history.

Third on the grid Jorge Lorenzo has maintained his record of qualifying on the front row at every race in 2009.

Heading the second row of the grid is Casey Stoner, who has won at Donington for the last two years.

Donington is the only circuit at which Andrea Dovizioso has won in both the 125cc and 250cc classes.

Colin Edwards has finished in a point-scoring position in the last seventeen successive races since he crashed at the German GP last year.

Eighth place on the grid is the best qualifying result at Donington for Toni Elias in the five years he has been racing in the MotoGP class.

James Toseland will be stating ninth on the grid – the best qualifying result for a B ritish rider in the MotoGP class at Donington since Jeremy McWilliams was seventh fastest in 2002 riding a Proton KR machine.

Toseland will be aiming to improve on Neil Hodgson’s 10th place finish on a Ducati in 2004, which is the best result for a British rider at Donington on a four-stroke MotoGP.

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