MotoGP: Phillip Island - Pedrosa pinches Island pole.

[Rory Phoulorie]

Saturday, 13th October 2007

Dani Pedrosa outshone both Valentino Rossi and home hero Casey Stoner to take his third pole position of the 2007 MotoGP season, at Phillip Island on Saturday.


Stoner's DucatiMarlboro team-mate Loris Capirossi had led the first quarter of qualifying, before the newly crowned world champion - fastest in all three free practice sessions � hit the front.

The Australian remained in control until the final ten minutes, when the Michelin riders unleashed their own qualifying tyres. Rossi was the first to strike, but held pole for only four minutes before the 21-year-old, who suffered a spectacular highside in final practice, retaliated.

However Stoner - now out of qualifying tyres - was unable to respond to a stunning lap by Pedrosa, which saw the usually smooth Spaniard push his squirming factory RC212V to the limit as he pulled a huge 0.615secs ahead of the #27.

Stoner was later dropped to the outside of the front row by Rossi, riding in a special Fiat Yamaha livery and new 'aboriginal' helmet colours, as the Italian closed Pedrosa's advantage down to 0.218secs in the closing minutes.

On a day when the top three were covered by an abnormally large margin, Pedrosa's team-mate and outgoing world champion Nicky Haydenclaimed fourth position to head row two, where he will be joined by Capirossi and Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet.

A surprise row three will see Pramac d'Antin's Alex Barros start alongside Konica Minolta Honda's Shinya Nakano and Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3's Sylvain Guintoli, with Australian Anthony West completing a top ten covered by 1.448secs.

Colin Edwards at least improved on his Friday disaster, with eleventh position on the second factory M1, but Marco Melandri's fortunes went in the other direction as the Friday runner-up qualified 12th for HondaGresini. The Rizla Suzukis also suffered; John Hopkins will start 14th with home star Chris Vermeulen and his Barry Sheene inspired GSV-R just 16th.

Chaz Davies finished his second ever MotoGP qualifying session 17th out of the 19 riders. The Briton completed the least laps of any rider as the d'Antin team worked feverishly on his Desmosedici and the 20-year-old will start between former MotoGP race winners Vermeulen and Toni Elias, with Kurtis Roberts completing the field.

Qualifying:

1. Pedrosa
2. Rossi
3. Stoner
4. Hayden
5. Capirossi
6. de Puniet
7. Barros
8. Nakano
9. Guintoli
10. West
11. Edwards
12. Melandri
13. Checa
14. Hopkins
15. Tamada
16. Vermeulen
17. Davies
18. Elias
19. Roberts


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