Qatar warm up led by Pedrosa

Sunday, 20 March 2011

In the twenty minute warm up proceeding the opening race of the 2011 season, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) topped the session. This was the first time of the weekend, Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) had been knocked off the top of the timesheets and it was by his team-mate.

The Spaniard set the fastest lap time of 1’55.345 head of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. In dry but blustery conditions, under the spotlights of the Losail International Circuit, Repsol Honda again dominated the top two positions.

Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory Racing) who will join the Repsol Honda’s on the front row of the grid, was third quickest, with his team-mate Ben Spies (Yamaha Factory Racing) one place behind him in the warm up.

Randy de Puniet (Pramac Racing) who will start the race from eleventh was fifth fastest in warm up, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team). The latter having a minor off track excursion during the session.

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) who will start on the third row in the race was eighth quickest with his team-mate Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) eleventh. This time Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar Team) was the second fastest Ducati on show in warm up, in ninth place with Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) completing the top ten.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and Cal Crutchlow were 12th and 13th respectively.