British MotoGP: Randy de Puniet cautious on podium hopes

Randy de Puniet played down his hopes of a podium in tomorrow’s British MotoGP race after he produced a breathtaking qualifying performance at Silverstone.

The LCR Honda rider was in sparkling form and just 13 minutes remained when the former factory Kawasaki rider surged over 0.7s clear of the field.

A lap of 2.03.434 left him just 0.126s behind Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo and de Puniet put in one last effort to try and snatch his first ever premier class pole position.

With his RC212V bucking and weaving all over the fast and challenging Silverstone circuit, de Puniet was 0.3s up on Lorenzo’s best time in the first two sections when his challenge ended in a cloud of dust. 

The Frenchman lost the front at the fast left-hand Farm Curve though he walked away with only a puncture wound to his right thumb.

He still claimed a stunning second to secure his first front row start in MotoGP since the Dutch GP at Assen in 2007.

He said: “My target is to be in the top six like the beginning of the season. I don’t want to dream too much at the moment. I have a good feeling here and I like this track. For me it is one of the best in the world.

“It is a little bit bumpy but I really like it. In my last run I gave my maximum to get the pole position and I was over three tenths faster in the middle section of the track but I pushed too much and didn’t finish the lap. But for me it was a good session though the most important thing is the race.”

He shrugged off the thumb wound insisting it will not be a handicap in tomorrow’s 20-lap race and said: “I don’t know what happened. Maybe I hit something on the track but my right thumb has an open wound but it won’t be a problem.

“I rode last year with a broken ankle so this will not be a problem. For sure this crash was helpful as I understand I must remain calm during the race!”