Mugello MotoGP: Stoner sets fastest ever lap at Mugello

Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) set the fastest ever lap on two wheels at Mugello in qualifying this afternoon to clinch the twenty-seventh pole position of the Australian’s MotoGP career.

With 37 minutes remaining Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) upped his pace to lap second fastest around the Italian circuit, relegating Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) to start tomorrow’s race from third on the grid. With the rain falling heavily in the final half of the qualifying session Simoncelli was unable to improve on his time.

Fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda Team) qualified to take fourth, whilst reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo was unable to match his pace set in the third practice session, where he set what was a new lap record prior to being usurped by Stoner, qualifying in fifth ahead of Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) who completes the second row.

Cal Crutchlow put in an impressive ride on his first visit to Mugello, whilst still recovering from his injuries sustained at Silverstone, to qualify in seventh place ahead of Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) and Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) who will start tomorrow’s race in eighth and ninth respectively. Hayden’s team mate Valentino Rossi struggled with his revised Ducati and will start from twelfth.

1 Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 1’48.034 
2 Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1’48.479 0.445 / 0.445
3 Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’48.485 0.451 / 0.006
4 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1’48.694 0.660 / 0.209
5 Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha Factory Racing 1’48.756 0.722 / 0.062
6 Colin Edwards USA  Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’48.974 0.940 / 0.218
7 Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’49.021 0.987 / 0.047
8 Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’49.398 1.364 / 0.377
9 Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team  1’49.509 1.475 / 0.111
10 Hector Barbera SPA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP 1’49.663 1.629 / 0.154
11 Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1’49.678 1.644 / 0.015
12 Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Team  1’49.902 1.868 / 0.224
13 Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’50.156 2.122 / 0.254
14 Alvaro Bautista SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1’50.460 2.426 / 0.304
15 Randy De Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team  1’50.651 2.617 / 0.191
16 Toni Elias SPA LCR Honda MotoGP 1’50.742 2.708 / 0.091