Sepang MotoGP: Bradley Smith on front row despite crash

Bradley Smith secured his eighth front row start of 2009 despite a massive late crash during 125GP qualifying at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.

The British teenager was lying in second place and looking to mount an attack on pole position when he suffered a spectacular high-side at the final corner with just less than two minutes remaining.

The 18-year-old was stretchered away as a precaution but remained conscious throughout and a best time of 2.14.209 was still good enough to secure him third place on the grid for tomorrow’s 19-lap Malaysian GP. That left him 0.453s away from dominant Marc Marquez who claimed his second pole position of the season on the Repsol KTM.

Second place went to newly crowned world champion Julian Simon, the Spaniard clocking a best time of 2.13.811 as he goes in search of his sixth victory of the season. German Sandro Cortese, who produced a stunning fightback last weekend in Australia to claim a top three finish, completed the front row. His best time of 2.14.231 was just 0.022s off Smith.

Danny Webb equalled his best qualifying result of the season with a brilliant eighth place on the Degraaf Aprilia. Webb was as high as sixth in the final five minutes but a best lap of 2.14.920 secured him a second row start and his best qualifying performance since the Spanish 125GP in Jerez back in early May.  

Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding will start from 17th on the grid after he clocked a best time of 2.15.484 on the Blusens Aprilia. He was less than half-a-second away from a first top ten grid slot since the Catalunya GP in June.

1 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport KTM 2’13.756 219.959 
2 Julian SIMON SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2’13.811 217.216 0.055
3 Bradley SMITH GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2’14.209 221.902 0.453
4 Sandro CORTESE GER Ajo Interwetten Derbi 2’14.231 221.857 0.475
5 Nicolas TEROL SPA Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 2’14.403 223.094 0.647
6 Esteve RABAT SPA Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 2’14.686 219.378 0.930
7 Joan OLIVE SPA Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2’14.816 221.447 1.060
8 Danny WEBB GBR Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 2’14.920 222.542 1.164
9 Efren VAZQUEZ SPA Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2’14.975 219.155 1.219
10 Jonas FOLGER GER Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2’14.992 218.314 1.236
11 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2’15.019 220.678 1.263
12 Randy KRUMMENACHER SWI Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 2’15.219 223.186 1.463
13 Andrea IANNONE ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2’15.282 218.049 1.526
14 Lorenzo ZANETTI ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2’15.374 216.649 1.618
15 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2’15.436 217.085 1.680
16 Simone CORSI ITA Fontana Racing Aprilia 2’15.455 226.178 1.699
17 Scott REDDING GBR Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 2’15.484 216.432 1.728
18 Sergio GADEA SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2’15.529 221.220 1.773
19 Stefan BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing Aprilia 2’15.533 222.542 1.777
20 Luis SALOM SPA Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 2’15.951 219.735 2.195
21 Dominique AEGERTER SWI Ajo Interwetten Derbi 2’16.278 219.289 2.522
22 Johann ZARCO FRA WTR San Marino Team Aprilia 2’16.364 215.182 2.608
23 Michael RANSEDER AUT CBC Corse Aprilia 2’16.530 217.522 2.774
24 Cameron BEAUBIER USA Red Bull KTM Moto Sport KTM 2’16.533 216.867 2.777
25 Elly ILIAS MAL Air Asia Team Malaysia Aprilia 2’17.952 215.396 4.196
26 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA JPN Loncin Racing Loncin 2’18.348 205.949 4.592
27 Jasper IWEMA NED Racing Team Germany Honda 2’18.572 217.041 4.816
28 Jakub KORNFEIL CZE Loncin Racing Loncin 2’18.749 210.198 4.993
29 Blake LEIGH-SMITH AUS Degraaf Grand Prix Honda 2’19.624 213.734 5.868
30 Muhammad ZULFAHMI MAL Air Asia Team Malaysia Yamaha 2’19.655 207.892 5.899
31 Luca MARCONI ITA CBC Corse Aprilia 2’19.868 214.073 6.112
32 Luca VITALI ITA CBC Corse Aprilia 2’21.127 214.797 7.371
33 Quentin JACQUET FRA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 2’21.148 207.253 7.392