Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/670480
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 APRIL 2016 Sport 54 TENSION hung in the air as the 12 fastest MotoGP™ World Championship riders zipped up their leathers and pulled on their helmets before stepping out to fight for pole position. Jerez is the shortest circuit of the opening four rounds, crew chiefs and their riders discuss- ing one or two strop strategies until the final moments. As in almost every session at the Gran Premio Red Bull de Es- paña, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was the first out of pit lane. Lorenzo, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Hon- da), who had advanced through Q1, were the only riders to head out with the hard front tyre. The entire field had soft rears fitted from the start. Straight away times were in the mid 1'39s, matching what riders had done during practice as Jorge Lorenzo seized the early lead. Both he and Andrea Ian- none (Ducati Team) came into the pits to switch bikes early, the pair looking as though they would opt for a three run strat- egy. Lorenzo immediately re- turned to the pits and had the new tyres fitted to his first bike. Meanwhile Marquez had overtaken the lead of the ses- sion with a 1'39.064 and went back into the pits for new tyres, remaining on the same bike. Times were largely unchanged as the rest of the field had also returned for their second set of Michelin tyres. With new tyres on his pre- ferred bike, Lorenzo put the hammer down straight away and set a 1'38.858 to jump into provisional pole. Hector Bar- bera (Avintia Racing) was able to benefit from the lap as he ex- pertly stuck in the slipstream. Marquez tried to respond to Lorenzo's lap but once again the final sector proved to be his downfall. He had just one lap left to do it, fans edged forward in their seats as Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) be- gan his final lap with roaring pace as well. All three traded fastest sectors as the chequered f lag came out. Rossi was the first to cross the line, producing a 1'38.736 to push Lorenzo to sec- ond. It was all down to Marquez, could he snatch a third straight pole? Try as he might the Spaniard was unable to overcome the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP duo as Rossi claimed his first pole since the Dutch TT in 2015. This is the first time since 2009 that Rossi has started on the front for three consecutive races and his 52 premier class pole position. He may be in the best qualif y- ing form in over half a decade, but Rossi won't have it easy on race day as both Lorenzo and Marquez are out for home glory. Lorenzo's time made it a Yama- ha 1-2 as the duo were split by 0.122s, clearly the YZR-M1 is working incredibly well at the Jerez circuit. As shown in FP4, Lorenzo is easily able to lap in the 1'39s from the start of a run. This is Lorenzo's fourth front row start of the year, third in Argentina his worst position of 2016. Completing the front row, Marc Marquez was unable to catch the super smooth Yama- has. Turns 11 and 12 are the source of all of Marquez's prob- lems as he ended 0.155s back on Rossi. All three of the leading trio have had races decided at the final corner in Jerez, will it be three across into Turn 13 on Sunday? As the battle for pole raged, An- drea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) quietly went about his business as he secured fourth on the grid. It's clear the leading trio are a league above, Dovizioso 0.844s back on Lorenzo and 0.689s off a front row start. Fourth on the grid is a great result for Ducati and Dovizioso as the factory team has struggled massively throughout the weekend. Two Team Suzuki Ecstar bikes completed the second row of the grid, Maverick Viñales out qual- if ying Aleix Espargaro for the fourth time in 2016. Incredibly Viñales was only 0.001s behind Dovizioso and Espargaro was just 0.007s back on his team- mate. The leading three may be set for an exclusive battle for victory, but the fight for fourth place is building to be just as exciting. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) will start from the head of the third row in front of Pol Espargaro (Monster Yama- ha Tech 3) and Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing). A very Spanish affair. The fourth row will feature Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) and Loris Baz (Avintia Racing). Iannone had appeared to find some speed in Free Practice 3, but was not able to carry it over to Q2 as he qualified outside the front two rows for the first time in 2016. MOTOGP Rossi wins three-way fight for 52nd pole position Valentino Rossi banished his Qualifying demons to secure his 52nd premier class pole position in Jerez, besting Lorenzo and Marquez 2016 Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. V. Rossi Yamaha 01:38.736 8 2. J. Lorenzo Yamaha 01:38.858 8 3. M. Marquez Repsol Honda 01:38.891 8 4. A. Dovizioso Ducati 01:39.580 8 5. M. Vinales Suzuki 01:39.581 8 6. A. Espargaro Suzuki 01:39.588 7 7. D. Pedrosa Repsol Honda 01:39.678 8 8. P. Espargaro Tech 3 01:39.720 8 9. H. Barbera Avintia 01:39.742 8 10. C. Crutchlow LCR 01:39.881 8 11. A. Iannone Ducati 01:40.054 6 12. L. Baz Avintia 01:40.184 5