Catalunya MotoGP: Pedrosa smashes lap record for pole

Repsol Honda racer Dani Pedrosa will start his 200th Grand Prix from pole position tomorrow in Barcelona after blowing away Casey Stoner’s 2008 lap record in Qualifying.

Pedrosa set a lap of 1’40.893, the fastest ever two wheeled lap of the Catalunyan track.

Cal Crutchlow was second, out-qualifying the factory of Yamahas of Lorenzo and Rossi for the first time this year, although still 0.608 adrift of Pedrosa.

Lorenzo was third, only 0.07 back from the Brit, after being forced to swap bikes early in the session due to clutch problems.

Alvaro Bautista was fourth, while Ducati rider Nicky Hayden was an impressive fifth, 0.09 ahead of rookie sensation Marc Marquez.

Yesterday’s fastest man Valentino Rossi was seventh after a problem-plauged session that saw him pit multiple times.

Andrea Iannone was another impressive Ducati ride, having advenced from Q1 to beat factory rider Andrea Dovizioso by one place. Bradley Smith, who also advanced from Q2 was eleventh, ahead of the CRT Aspar.

Michael Laverty was 20th, ahead of PBM teammate Yonny Hernandez.

1 26 Dani PEDROSA Honda 1’40.893
2 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW Yamaha 1’41.501
3 99 Jorge LORENZO Yamaha 1’41.566
4 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA Honda 1’41.714
5 69 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati 1’41.800
6 93 Marc MARQUEZ Honda 1’41.842
7 46 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha  1’41.959
8 29 Andrea IANNONE Ducati 1’41.963
9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati 1’42.053
10 6 Stefan BRADL Honda 1’42.090
11 38 Bradley SMITH Yamaha 1’42.548
12 41 Aleix ESPARGARO ART 1’42.878
13 14 Randy DE PUNIET ART 1’43.186
14 51 Michele PIRRO Ducati 1’43.330
15 8 Hector BARBERA FTR 1’43.659
16 5 Colin EDWARDS FTR Kawasaki 1’43.983
17 17 Karel ABRAHAM ART 1’44.362
18 9 Danilo PETRUCCI Ioda-Suter 1’44.369
19 71 Claudio CORTI FTR Kawasaki 1’44.603
20 70 Michael LAVERTY PBM 1’44.630
21 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ ART 1’44.913
22 67 Bryan STARING FTR Honda 1’45.441
23 52 Lukas PESEK Ioda-Suter 1’46.302
24 77 Javier DEL AMOR FTR 1’48.952