Brno: Pole and lap record for Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow took his second pole position of the 2013 season with a track record around the Brno track on his Tech 3 Yamaha and a stunning 1:55.527 in a second qualifying session which came alive in the final couple of minutes.

Alvaro Bautista – continuing the coup for satellite teams on his Gresini Honda – will also start from the front row tomorrow with his second front row in three races for the Italian based team.

Championship leader Marc Marquez and his Honda team-mate Pedrosa could only finish third and fourth respectively.

In what was a great day for the Tech 3 British pair, Bradley Smith rounded up the second row of the grid placings with a solid sixth, splitting the two factory Yamaha riders with Rossi only managing a seventh place start.

Despite making little headway in qualifying, Marc Marquez appeared in a resolute mood, ‘I feel good with the bike and ready for the race. I’m disappointed with today especially with the amount of traffic. But it’s like that sometimes and I’ll do better tomorrow’.

Alvaro Bautista, who has found some great form of late was more deferential, ‘Today we found something with the rear grip that helped me a lot. I don’t know about the race tomorrow but I’ll make a good start and try to push as much as I can’.

In the press conference after the session however, the pole sitter was much more expectant, ‘It was a good job from the Tech 3 team and to battle and be the top Yamaha is the best thing. It was a fantastic job today. I look forward to the race tomorrow and hopefully we can go for the podium and then come to Silverstone strong’.

1 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1’55.527
2 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini HONDA 1’55.754
3 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1’55.863
4 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1’55.868
5 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing YAMAHA 1’55.949
6 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA 1’56.014
7 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing YAMAHA 1’56.186
8 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA 1’56.477
9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team DUCATI 1’56.825
10 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team DUCATI 1’56.979
11 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing DUCATI 1’57.455
12 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward RacingFTR KAWASAKI 1’58.392