Bati Lines Up 9th For Farewell 250 Race

Another windy session, though less changeable weather overall. Still a bit of a blustery challenge for many riders, and Alvaro putting in plenty of work only to find himself in lots of traffic in the closing minutes...

"We tried a different setting for the afternoon because we had some traction problems this morning but it didn't work so we went back to the original setting - unfortunately we didn't have time to get many laps in after that. There was a lot of traffic on track at the end of the session too and I wasn't able to improve my lap time. It means that once again we're starting from further back than we'd like but hopefully we can have a good warm-up and gain the confidence to push hard from the start of the race. Everybody wants to win tomorrow so it will be a close race and important to stay in touch with the leaders from the start."

Here's the results in full...

Pos Rider Bike Time Laps
1. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m36.116s 20
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m36.450s + 0.334s 22
3. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m36.470s + 0.354s 21
4. R.Wilairot Honda 1m36.563s + 0.447s 20
5. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m36.656s + 0.540s 22
6. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m36.985s + 0.869s 23
7. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m37.271s + 1.155s 22
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m37.278s + 1.162s 20
9. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m37.303s + 1.187s 22
10. Hector Faubel Honda 1m37.318s + 1.202s 21
11. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1m37.365s + 1.249s 21
12. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m37.577s + 1.461s 21
13. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m37.749s + 1.633s 17
14. R.Locatelli Gilera 1m37.811s + 1.695s 22
15. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1m37.958s + 1.842s 15
16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m38.085s + 1.969s 20
17. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m38.126s + 2.010s 21
18. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m38.291s + 2.175s 19
19. Balazs Nemeth Aprilia 1m38.737s + 2.621s 21
20. Shuhei Aoyama Honda 1m38.795s + 2.679s 19
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1m39.283s + 3.167s 16
22. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m40.371s + 4.255s 19
23. Bastien Chesaux Aprilia 1m41.605s + 5.489s 13
24. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m42.418s + 6.302s 20
- William Dunlop Honda 1m42.906s + 6.790s 20

Alvaro Secures 5th Spot On Sepang Grid

Lap times were incredibly close for the 250cc class again today, with the top eleven separated by just a second in this afternoon's single qualifying practice for Malaysian Grand Prix. It made for an exciting session in which pole position wasn't decided until the very last moment, with slipstreams in the final section vital. In the end it was series leader Hiroshi Aoyama who snatched top spot ahead of French rookies Mike Di Meglio and Jules Cluzel, and Spanish pair Hector Barberá and Álvaro Bautista in the intense heat of Sepang.
Alvaro set a solid pace and also topped the time sheets for a spell before settling for fifth place on the grid.    

 
5th Alvaro Bautista 2.07.371 (17 laps):
"It's a shame we missed out on the front row but the lap times are there and our rhythm is good. Luckily Mike was able to make the most of my slipstream so at least the team benefited. I crashed this morning when we were experimenting with things so in the afternoon we stuck to what we thought worked best and just focused on putting a pace together without sending ourselves crazy. There isn't a lot of difference between the guys at the front and it's going to be a close and hard race tomorrow because of the heat. We have to make sure we stay in touch from the start because any kind of fight-back is dangerous in these conditions. The set-up isn't perfect but we are ready to race."



Pos. Rider Team Lap time Gap
1 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2′06.767
2 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 2′07.099 0.332
3 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 2′07.232 0.465
4 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 2′07.301 0.534
5 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 2′07.371 0.604
6 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 2′07.662 0.895
7 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 2′07.828 1.061
8 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 2′07.916 1.149
9 Thomas LUTHI Emmi – Caffe Latte 2′07.949 1.182
10 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2′07.953 1.186
11 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 2′07.998 1.231
12 Mattia PASINI Paddock GP Racing Team 2′08.159 1.392
13 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 2′08.836 2.069
14 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 2′08.841 2.074
15 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 2′08.908 2.141
16 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto – GP250 2′09.148 2.381
17 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly – CP 2′09.336 2.569
18 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 2′09.392 2.625
19 Shuhei AOYAMA Racing Team Germany 2′09.654 2.887
20 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 2′11.611 4.844
21 Bastien CHESAUX Matteoni Racing 2′11.941 5.174
22 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto – GP250 2′12.171 5.404
23 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2′12.813 6.046
24 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 2′14.831 8.064

Alvaro Reflects On Difficult Qualifying

"This obviously isn't the result I was hoping for. We had some problems with the rear of the bike yesterday and this morning it was the same story. In the afternoon it looked like we'd improved it a little but I'm still not comfortable. We tried a hard front tyre but it didn't work as we'd hoped. It makes the bike very stable in the direction changes but we need to adapt the chassis to it and make the whole thing run sweeter. We can't throw the towel in yet - we have to keep working and do everything we can to improve and make sure we're in a position to try and fight back in the race tomorrow."

Alvaro In 10th For Sunday's Race

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Raffaele de Rosa Honda 1m33.389s
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m33.614s + 0.225
3. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m33.633s + 0.244
4. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m33.886s + 0.497
5. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m33.928s + 0.539
6. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1m34.030s + 0.641
7. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1m34.114s + 0.725
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m34.192s + 0.803
9. Hector Faubel Honda 1m34.285s + 0.896
10. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m34.588s + 1.199
11. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m34.727s + 1.338
12. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m34.921s + 1.532
13. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m35.016s + 1.627
14. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m35.018s + 1.629
15. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m35.374s + 1.985
16. Shuhei Aoyama Honda 1m35.387s + 1.998
17. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1m36.114s + 2.725
18. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m36.711s + 3.322
19. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m36.860s + 3.471
20. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m36.901s + 3.512
21. Balazs Nemeth Aprilia 1m37.525s + 4.136
22. Valentin Debise Honda 1m37.984s + 4.595
23. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m38.346s + 4.957
24. Bastien Chesaux Aprilia 1m38.893s + 5.504

Portuguese GP: Alvaro's Post-Quali Quotes

"It has been a long time since we've been on the front row and since we showed good pace in practice so I think we needed this. When you qualify up front you know you have the pace, you have good references and everything is more 'easy', so to speak. I'm happy to be on the front row but more for the fact that I feel comfortable and I'm riding the Aprilia how I want to, with a good set-up for the race.
We have been strong and made progress all weekend so I think we're in the right shape for a good race tomorrow, especially because this is a circuit that has brought us luck for the past three seasons so I hope that run continues tomorrow. I want to fight to win with everything I have. Unfortunately I ran into traffic at the end of the session and the three final laps were pretty much wasted but the important thing is the feeling I have with the bike, my confidence and my pace."

Portuguese GP: Bautista Second In Qualifying

Pos | Rider | Team | Lap time | Gap
1 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 1′40.596
2 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 1′40.654 0.058
3 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 1′40.684 0.088
4 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1′40.879 0.283
5 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 1′41.008 0.412
6 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1′41.169 0.573
7 Mattia PASINI Team Globalgest 1′41.182 0.586
8 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 1′41.190 0.594
9 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 1′41.205 0.609
10 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 1′41.353 0.757
11 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 1′41.537 0.941
12 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1′41.728 1.132
13 Thomas LUTHI Emmi – Caffe Latte 1′41.764 1.168
14 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 1′41.794 1.198
15 Shuhei AOYAMA Racing Team Germany 1′42.194 1.598
16 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 1′42.312 1.716
17 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto – GP250 1′42.348 1.752
18 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly – CP 1′42.659 2.063
19 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto – GP250 1′43.427 2.831
20 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 1′43.445 2.849
21 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 1′44.305 3.709
22 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 1′44.583 3.987
23 Bastien CHESAUX Matteoni Racing 1′45.605 5.009

Out of limit time
88 Christopher MORETTI ITA Matteoni Racing Aprilia
10 Imre TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia

Alvaro Quotes: Post-Qualy, San Marino

“To be honest I don’t know why we were able to set 39.5s this morning and not this afternoon. For some reason in qualifying I couldn’t get the front to turn into the corners but we haven’t changed anything from the morning – I don’t know what it is but we’ll have to examine it tonight. Tomorrow’s race is at the same time as free practice today so hopefully my Aprilia works the same and I’m comfortable on it. It’s nothing to worry about but we do need to make sure we cover all bases. I felt confident this morning so I’m disappointed with the grid position because I hoped for much more so hopefully we can solve our problems in the morning and be in good shape for the race.”

San Marino GP: 250cc Qualifying

Pos | Rider | Team | Lap time | Gap
1 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1′38.867
2 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 1′38.875 0.008
3 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 1′39.038 0.171
4 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 1′39.068 0.201
5 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 1′39.397 0.530
6 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 1′39.416 0.549
7 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 1′39.602 0.735
8 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 1′39.825 0.958
9 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 1′39.915 1.048
10 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 1′39.969 1.102
11 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 1′39.995 1.128
12 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly – CP 1′40.040 1.173
13 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 1′40.066 1.199
14 Thomas LUTHI Emmi – Caffe Latte 1′40.128 1.261
15 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 1′40.136 1.269
16 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 1′40.832 1.965
17 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto – GP250 1′41.429 2.562
18 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto – GP250 1′41.903 3.036
19 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 1′42.092 3.225
20 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 1′42.158 3.291
21 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 1′42.957 4.090
22 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 1′42.992 4.125
23 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 1′43.079 4.212
24 Toby MARKHAM C&L Racing 1′43.919 5.052
25 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Matteoni Racing 1′45.357 6.490

Alvaro - Czech GP - Saturday Quotes

Alvaro starts 8th on the grid... He found his best setting ten minutes before the end of the free practice - but also had a difficult afternoon, losing the front end of his Aprilia on turn five just minutes before the end of the session, leaving him on the asphalt and unable to get the bike back out in time for a final attempt at pole position. Luckily he suffered no injuries in the lowside crash, and will aim to challenge for the lead from eight on the grid. He predicts a tough battle on Sunday, in which he will be going all-out for points as the title race heats up and after losing ground to Aoyama in the standings.

"The crash was totally unexpected, as I had already put two laps on the new tyres. I got into turn five and everything seized up, causing me to fall. This morning we did various tests on the front suspension and found some things that worked, then we continued with the front end in the afternoon but lost our way.
The changes in place at the end of the practice are the ones that I would favour for the race and I am sure that if we had done more laps with this setting then we would have done better today. We will go back to it tomorrow in the warmup and try again. In the race I wil have to start well in order to be at the front and fight like I have done this season. I will have to take risks if necessary, because I can't afford to lose more points."

Czech GP - Qualifying 250cc

Pos | Rider | Team | Lap time | Gap
1 Marco SIMONCELLI Metis Gilera 2′01.611
2 Hiroshi AOYAMA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2′01.961 0.350
3 Hector BARBERA Pepe World Team 2′02.064 0.453
4 Alex DEBON Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens 2′02.386 0.775
5 Mike DI MEGLIO Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc 2′02.426 0.815
6 Roberto LOCATELLI Metis Gilera 2′02.543 0.932
7 Mattia PASINI Team Toth Aprilia 2′02.561 0.950
8 Alvaro BAUTISTA Mapfre Aspar Team 2′02.748 1.137
9 Raffaele DE ROSA Scot Racing Team 250cc 2′02.768 1.157
10 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 2′02.811 1.200
11 Hector FAUBEL Honda SAG 2′02.899 1.288
12 Ratthapark WILAIROT Thai Honda PTT SAG 2′02.921 1.310
13 Thomas LUTHI Emmi – Caffe Latte 2′02.932 1.321
14 Jules CLUZEL Matteoni Racing 2′02.997 1.386
15 Lukas PESEK Auto Kelly – CP 2′03.596 1.985
16 Shoya TOMIZAWA CIP Moto – GP250 2′03.951 2.340
17 Alex BALDOLINI WTR San Marino Team 2′04.100 2.489
18 Balazs NEMETH Balatonring Team 2′05.493 3.882
19 Axel PONS Pepe World Team 2′06.350 4.739
20 Valentin DEBISE CIP Moto – GP250 2′06.571 4.960
21 Bastien CHESAUX Racing Team Germany 2′07.088 5.477
22 Imre TOTH Team Toth Aprilia 2′07.130 5.519
23 Vladimir LEONOV Viessmann Kiefer Racing 2′08.362 6.751
24 Aitor RODRIGUEZ Matteoni Racing 2′08.600 6.989

Alvaro - Post-qualifying quotes; Sachsenring

"We made a few changes to the wet set-up for qualifying but I didn't feel comfortable, to the point that we just went back to the configuration we had last year and I felt better straight away. It is a shame that I ran into a lot of traffic and couldn't get into a rhythm. I only got on decent lap in but that was enough to get me on the front row. I think if I had the opportunity to get into a flow I could have gone faster.
If it is dry for the warm-up tomorrow I'll try what we know works - the same geometry we had for the wet at the end of this afternoon, which gives me a better feeling on the front. Whatever the weather tomorrow we'll be giving it our best shot - we'll try and get a feeling from the start and run at the front. It is important to be on the front row because the first turn tends to get busy here. It is also a circuit where it is very difficult to pass so the nearer you are to the front of the grid the better."

Alvaro Third On Grid For German GP

After not looking terribly confident for most of the drenched and piddling down Qualifying session for tomorrow's German GP at the Sachsenring, and possibly seeming a shoe-in for a slot somewhere down on the second row, Alvaro suddenly right at the end bunged in a great lap that puts him up in third behind Dumb & Dumber.
Quite what the weather will bring tomorrow who knows, but hopefully he can ride smart and as usual be aware of the terrible twosome lined up next to him...


Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap
1. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m32.962s
2. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m33.105s + 0.143s
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m34.246s + 1.284s
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m34.285s + 1.323s
5. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m34.312s + 1.350s
6. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m34.333s + 1.371s
7. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m34.632s + 1.670s
8. Hector Faubel Honda 1m34.660s + 1.698s
9. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1m34.718s + 1.756s
10. Mike di Meglio Aprilia 1m34.804s + 1.842s
11. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m35.019s + 2.057s
12. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m35.355s + 2.393s
13. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m35.427s + 2.465s
14. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1m35.637s + 2.675s
15. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m35.889s + 2.927s
16. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1m36.078s + 3.116s
17. Raffaele de Rosa Honda 1m36.097s + 3.135s
18. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m36.387s + 3.425s
19. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m36.767s + 3.805s
20. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m36.880s + 3.918s
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1m37.633s + 4.671s
22. Toby Markham Aprilia 1m37.939s + 4.977s
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1m39.234s + 6.272s
24. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m40.422s + 7.460s
25. Joakim Stensmo Honda 1m42.138s + 9.176s
26. Robin Halen Aprilia 1m41.581s + 8.619s
27. Marcel Becker Yamaha 1m46.868s + 13.906s

Assen GP - 250cc Qualifying Times

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Laps
1. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1:40.019 22
2. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1:40.192 + 0.173 21
3. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:40.210 + 0.191 22
4. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:40.320 + 0.301 19
5. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:40.796 + 0.777 21
6. Alex Debon Aprilia 1:40.830 + 0.811 20
7. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 1:41.023 + 1.004 21
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1:41.055 + 1.036 21
9. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 1:41.072 + 1.053 19
10. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1:41.190 + 1.171 20
11. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1:41.235 + 1.216 20
12. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1:41.347 + 1.328 20
13. Hector Faubel Honda 1:41.462 + 1.443 16
14. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1:41.533 + 1.514 22
15. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1:41.545 + 1.526 21
16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1:42.038 + 2.019 19
17. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1:42.628 + 2.609 14
18. Stevie Bonsey Aprilia 1:42.697 + 2.678 13
19. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1:43.075 + 3.056 13
20. Axel Pons Aprilia 1:43.470 + 3.451 21
21. Valentin Debise Honda 1:43.653 + 3.634 19
22. Imre Toth Aprilia 1:43.913 + 3.894 20
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1:44.704 + 4.685 21
24. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1:44.743 + 4.724 17
25. Toby Markham Honda 1:46.758 + 6.739 14

Alvaro Lines Up 3rd For Assen GP

"I had a few problems with the front end in corner entry this afternoon, which I think is because we were running a used front tyre and a new rear. About halfway through this afternoon's qualifying we started to make some progress with the bike and I began to enjoy myself. In the end it was a good session, with a good pace, so I hope I can keep riding like I want to tomorrow in both the warm-up and the race. We were really close to pole but the most important thing was to be on the front row and we've done that. I'd like to improve the bike a little more before the race tomorrow just to be on the safe side but I think the fight will be between the same people as Barcelona, with Aoyama and Barberá both looking good. This morning we tried a few things with the front-end set-up and went down the wrong route at one point, which is what led to the crash, but I'm not worried because we know what the problem was."

Catalunya GP - Saturday Quotes From Alvaro

"Considering the conditions we had to deal with today I don't think second place is a bad result. With less temperature this morning I felt more comfortable and that's a good sign for tomorrow because the race is more or less at the same time. It is a shame that I wasn't able to get maximum potential out of the new tyre at the end because I ran into some traffic and lost some vital tenths.
Anyway, the important thing is that we're on the front row because we need to get a good start and run at the front. The lap times are tight and it will be difficult for anybody to escape so the key will be to stick in the lead group and see what transpires as the laps go by. If I can push on and break things up I will. Still, we don't know what will happen until the race starts. If there is a chance we can win I'll fight tooth and nail and won't give anything up easily."

Alvaro Takes Second In Qualifying

Pos | Num | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Lap time

1 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Pepe World Team Aprilia 1'46.749
2 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Aprilia 1'46.899
3 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA Metis Gilera Gilera 1'46.908
4 12 Thomas LUTHI SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte Aprilia 1'47.081
5 6 Alex DEBON SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens Aprilia 1'47.125
6 4 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Scot Racing Team 250cc Honda 1'47.166
7 75 Mattia PASINI ITA Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 1'47.225
8 55 Hector FAUBEL SPA Valencia CF - Honda SAG Honda 1'47.379
9 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc Aprilia 1'47.426
10 14 Ratthapark WILAIROT THA Thai Honda PTT SAG Honda 1'47.559
11 25 Alex BALDOLINI ITA WTR San Marino Team Aprilia 1'47.596
12 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Aprilia 1'47.725
13 35 Raffaele DE ROSA ITA Scot Racing Team 250cc Honda 1'47.747
14 16 Jules CLUZEL FRA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 1'47.795
15 48 Shoya TOMIZAWA JPN CIP Moto - GP250 Honda 1'48.032
16 15 Roberto LOCATELLI ITA Metis Gilera Gilera 1'48.088
17 52 Lukas PESEK CZE Auto Kelly - CP Aprilia 1'48.101
18 7 Axel PONS SPA Pepe World Team Aprilia 1'50.450
19 51 Stevie BONSEY USA Milar - Juegos Lucky Aprilia 1'50.598
20 53 Valentin DEBISE FRA CIP Moto - GP250 Honda 1'50.653
21 11 Balazs NEMETH HUN Balatonring Team Aprilia 1'50.732
22 8 Bastien CHESAUX SWI Racing Team Germany Honda 1'51.229
23 10 Imre TOTH HUN Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 1'51.296
24 56 Vladimir LEONOV RUS Viessmann Kiefer Racing Aprilia 1'52.133
25 54 Toby MARKHAM GBR C&L Racing Honda 1'52.856

Alvaro Bautista: Post-Qualifying Quotes, Mugello

"The truth is that the times are very close! Things didn't go well this morning and I wasn't comfortable on the bike. I didn't have a good feeling with the front and couldn't brake well or get into the turns as I like. We stiffened the front up a little for the afternoon and it felt like a different bike. I immediately recovered the good feeling I was missing this morning and felt I could do a low 1'52, which I managed. I think we've done a great job and our pace is good.
All of the riders on the front row are going to want to win at all cost, each of us for their own reasons, so it will be tough. I'll try to get a good start and stay with the lead group but I'm sure it's going to be a close battle like Jerez. It is highly satisfying to set pole but the gap between the front three is tight so the important thing tomorrow will be to stay focused."

Alvaro Takes Mugello Pole

Alvaro took pole for tomorrow's Mugello GP in a close-fought qualifying session, where he was happier with his bike's front end setup than during the morning's free practice session.
He shares the fron row with Aoyama, and Dumb & Dumber again - so it'll be interesting to see what happens at the start. Hopefully Bati can get clean away, although his starts have not necessarily been the strongest so far this season.
Nonetheless, we know how he can come good during a race anyway, so let's wait and see...

Suerte Alvaro :-)

Here's the full Qualy roster...

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time
1. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m52.804s
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m52.818s + 0.014
3. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m52.842s + 0.038
4. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m53.050s + 0.246
5. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m53.573s + 0.769
6. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m53.702s + 0.898
7. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1m53.811s + 1.007
8. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m53.875s + 1.071
9. Raffaele de Rosa Honda 1m53.941s + 1.137
10. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1m53.988s + 1.184
11. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m54.052s + 1.248
12. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m54.211s + 1.407
13. Hector Faubel Honda 1m54.351s + 1.547
14. Mike di Meglio Aprilia 1m54.363s + 1.559
15. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m54.375s + 1.571
16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m54.992s + 2.188
17. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m55.461s + 2.657
18. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m56.201s + 3.397
19. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m57.574s + 4.770
20. Valentin Debise Honda 1m57.699s + 4.895
21. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m58.464s + 5.660
22. Balazs Nemeth Aprilia 1m59.132s + 6.328
23. Daniel Arcas Aprilia 1m59.513s + 6.709
24. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1m59.617s + 6.813

French GP - Alvaro Post-Qualifying Quotes

"It was quite windy during qualifying but the track conditions were good. If it doesn't rain or something strange then I guess the race will be between the same guys that were fighting for pole today. This is quite a short circuit so I can't see anybody escaping and I'd expect a group race. Hopefully it can be as much fun as Jerez but with a win at the end of it!
The important thing will be to get a good start because it is more difficult to pass here than at a lot of other tracks and it will be crucial to be on the pace over the early laps so as not to lose touch with the lead group.
This circuit is more favourable to the Hondas but we'll try and fight for victory. It is obviously important to be consistent but if I see an opportunity to go for the win then I will do so, I won't be holding back. My pole time today was better than last year which shows that we have a good package."

French GP - Alvaro Takes 250cc Pole

Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap

1. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1m38.270s
2. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1m38.652s + 0.382s
3. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 1m38.682s + 0.412s
4. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 1m38.796s + 0.526s
5. Mike di Meglio Aprilia 1m39.003s + 0.733s
6. Alex Debon Aprilia 1m39.365s + 1.095s
7. Raffaele de Rosa Honda 1m39.367s + 1.097s
8. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1m39.381s + 1.111s
9. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 1m39.511s + 1.241s
10. Hector Faubel Honda 1m39.517s + 1.247s
11. Hector Barbera Aprilia 1m39.596s + 1.326s
12. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 1m39.667s + 1.397s
13. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1m39.896s + 1.626s
14. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1m40.066s + 1.796s
15. Karel Abraham Aprilia 1m40.462s + 2.192s
16. Angel Rodriguez Aprilia 1m40.620s + 2.350s
17. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 1m40.661s + 2.391s
18. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 1m40.852s + 2.582s
19. Imre Toth Aprilia 1m41.444s + 3.174s
20. Valentin Debise Honda 1m42.391s + 4.121s
21. Axel Pons Aprilia 1m42.654s + 4.384s
22. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 1m42.812s + 4.542s
23. Bastien Chesaux Honda 1m43.342s + 5.072s
24. Aitor Rodriguez Aprilia 1m44.132s + 5.862s
25. Toby Markham Honda 1m45.322s + 7.052s