2012 Mugello MotoGP Qualifying Practice Result: Drama-Filled Qualifying Sees Strong Pole

By David Emmett | Sat, 14/07/2012 - 13:26

Results and summary of the qualifying practice at Mugello for the MotoGP class:

Dani Pedrosa will start from pole for the second time this season, having posted a blistering lap in the late stages of qualifying. The Repsol Honda man was fast throughout, taking 2nd on hard tires as the final and hectic last 20 minutes commenced, then turned up the pace at the end improving lap after lap.

Pedrosa will start ahead of Jorge Lorenzo, an electronic problem thwarting the Factory Yamaha rider's final shot at setting a fast time. Lorenzo had dominated practice, and looked on his way to pole, until the electronics cut power to the bike. The Spaniard rolled into the pits disappointed not to have had another chance.

Hector Barbera made it three Spaniards on the front row, the first time this has ever happened in MotoGP. The Pramac Ducati rider has been fast all weekend, and unlike at other tracks, Barbera set his fast laps all on his own, rather than by getting a tow. Barbera finished ahead of Nicky Hayden on the factory Ducati, and the second Repsol Honda of Casey Stoner. After a strong session in the morning, Stoner struggled once again in the afternoon, losing a lot of time in the final sector of the track.

The Monster Tech 3 Yamahas of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso sit in 6th and 7th, Crutchlow on the end of the second row, Dovizioso heading up the third. The session was eventful for both men, Crutchlow crashing while on an early qualifying lap, Dovizioso saving a near-crash on his knee. LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl starts from 8th, ahead of the second Factory Yamaha of Ben Spies, another rider to crash during qualifying. Valentino Rossi rounds out the top 10, the nine-times World Champion 1.2 seconds off the pace of polesitter Pedrosa.

Results:

Pos No. Rider Bike Time Diff Diff Previous
1 26 Dani PEDROSA HONDA 1'47.284    
2 99 Jorge LORENZO YAMAHA 1'47.423 0.139 0.139
3 8 Hector BARBERA DUCATI 1'47.545 0.261 0.122
4 69 Nicky HAYDEN DUCATI 1'47.671 0.387 0.126
5 1 Casey STONER HONDA 1'47.689 0.405 0.018
6 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW YAMAHA 1'47.749 0.465 0.060
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO YAMAHA 1'47.751 0.467 0.002
8 6 Stefan BRADL HONDA 1'47.857 0.573 0.106
9 11 Ben SPIES YAMAHA 1'48.149 0.865 0.292
10 46 Valentino ROSSI DUCATI 1'48.502 1.218 0.353
11 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA HONDA 1'48.894 1.610 0.392
12 41 Aleix ESPARGARO ART 1'49.387 2.103 0.493
13 14 Randy DE PUNIET ART 1'49.450 2.166 0.063
14 51 Michele PIRRO FTR 1'50.263 2.979 0.813
15 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ BQR 1'50.610 3.326 0.347
16 77 James ELLISON ART 1'50.812 3.528 0.202
17 54 Mattia PASINI ART 1'50.953 3.669 0.141
18 22 Ivan SILVA BQR 1'51.242 3.958 0.289
19 5 Colin EDWARDS SUTER 1'51.348 4.064 0.106
20 9 Danilo PETRUCCI IODA 1'51.473 4.189 0.125

 

2012
9
MotoGP
Mugello, Italy
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Comments

Black Mamba has Green Mamba alongside him front row. Inland Taipan Casey ?
Dani is on a march. Ducati have cause to celebrate.
Lets face it , Hector did it all on his lonesome self.
This is Mugello,Italy,Ducati,right.
Rossi ? Have a good helmet day.

It was scary looking at brutal Lorenzo pace and consistency. Thank god, pace and consistency from Dani in Q is not far behind. I have at least a hope that tomorrow will be good race.

...the HELL are you guys talking? Sounds like trading lines/references from an obscure movie...

Haven't seen as much volume from you as normal, PIT BULL. Much as I wouldn't have thought it possible, there are some (new) people on here who hate Rossi more than you, so your posts are positively restrained by comparison!

BTW, being a man of my word, you planning on coming to see the race here in Texas? If so, I'll still find you a place to stay, etc. The offer still stands. In fact, it stands for ALL the people on here who would like to punch Rossi (and/or me, or anyone who even slightly likes "The Man In Yellow"), as well as his fans. (Heck, I might even show you around a bit, and give you a tour of the area...)

Maybe by then, there'll be four aliens again.

Hey,I can hope! (no matter how unrealistic...)

I am not Rossi fan, but I know he did not forget how to drive over night. He will be back. All of you who are Rossi fans, stick with him and believe in him. Now he needs you more then ever.

As much Dani need us. Lets hope, pray, scream, cheer .... just stick with your hero.

LP

I have stayed loyal to Rossi through the good and bad times but enough is enough if he signs for Ducati for 2013 I'm gone there are riders more worthy of my support I am going to go as far as to say he owes it to his fans and to motogp to admit defeat and move on

Hector Barbera faster than Stoner without a tow? I have seen Hector ride decent races in the 250s before (in fact he won the last 250 race ever beating Simoncelli and Bautista before the class changed to Moto2 - finished second in the championship that year) but this is a surprise - now show you can be consistent over a race distance though - on a Ducati...

I'm not sure what's the biggest surprise---Barb on the front row, or Casey .5 back? I'm hoping Dani's got something for Jorge, or its gonna be 'color me GONE' tomorrow. If Honda doesn't find a cure for this chatter problem (even though Dani seems to have worked around it 'this' week), Jorge will have this WC in the bag. Does Ducati really have something, OR....is Barb and Nicky on soft tires and will run OK for 1/4 of the race and then drop off the pace? Rossi? on hard tires hoping to make tires last? Can't wait for David's write up.

And I AM thinking about heading to Texas for the MGP race (lived in Amarillo for 4 years!), but since I'm about 100 miles from the Oregon border, on the coast of Kalifornia, its quite a trip. If I come, I definitely will get ahold of YOU for tips on lodgin/eats! And THANKS! BTW....I'm a Rossi FAN! Stoner FAN! Jorge FAN! + all the other stupidly FAST guys in MGP!

Lorenzo set a blistering, record-breaking pace, Pedrosa topped it and Barbera came within less than three-tenths. I don't care what anyone says about soft tyres or race distance - Barbera deserves enormous props for achieving that, seriously embarrassing the factory Ducati duo in the process. He might be the most underrated rider in MotoGP.

I think many observers have been under-rating Barbera based simply on the disparaging comments that his fellow riders make regarding his qualifying methods. But you still need to be a damn good rider to hang with a top 5 rider all the way around a racetrack, so why people have been thinking this way is somewhat strange to me.... He is a fast guy, simple as that, and if he were not on a Ducati - and the old-spec Ducati at that - but rather a Honda or a Yamaha, he'd be talked about in the same breath as Crutchlow or Bradl.

I just watched today's qualifying, and if it's any harbinger of what's to come, tomorrow has the potential to be the most exciting race of the season. But, I think Jorge's going to do just like he did last year. The big question is, who'll be taking the #2 & 3 spots on the podium? If I'm not mistaken, Bradl won here last year. He could be a spoiler tomorrow. Casey may have fallen short in Q, but he'll most likely be pushing up front too. I definitely do not foresee an all-Spanish podium.

I'm glad that my prediction about Bradl was spot-on. But, anyone could have predicted the podium for this one. Nicky and Vale were pleasant surprises.