Valencia MotoGP: Pedrosa takes pole and new lap record

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa secured pole position for the final race of the 2012 season at Valencia and set a new lap record today.

Pedrosa set a fastest lap of 1:30.844 to break the lap record, held by Valentino Rossi on the 990cc Yamaha since 2006.

2012 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo will start from second on the grid ahead of Casey Stoner in his final MotoGP race.

Brit Cal Crutchlow will head the second row in fourth position ahead of Stefan Bradl and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.

After a disappointing two years with Ducati, Valentino Rossi will start his final race with the Italian manufacturer from the middle of the fourth row in 11th, sandwiched between Aprilia CRT riders Aleix Espargaro and Randy De Puniet.

1 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 326.4 1’30.844 
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 321.4 1’31.195 0.351 / 0.351
3 1 Casey STONER AUS Repsol Honda Team Honda 322.9 1’31.428 0.584 / 0.233
4 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 321.4 1’31.512 0.668 / 0.084
5 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 324.8 1’31.757 0.913 / 0.245
6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 321.6 1’31.795 0.951 / 0.038
7 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 320.7 1’32.503 1.659 / 0.708
8 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 323.5 1’32.585 1.741 / 0.082
9 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 327.0 1’32.605 1.761 / 0.020
10 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 305.7 1’32.834 1.990 / 0.229
11 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 319.6 1’32.877 2.033 / 0.043
12 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 306.4 1’33.346 2.502 / 0.469
13 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati 320.3 1’33.442 2.598 / 0.096
14 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing Suter 309.3 1’33.453 2.609 / 0.011
15 51 Michele PIRRO ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini FTR 303.8 1’33.971 3.127 / 0.518
16 21 Katsuyuki NAKASUGA JPN Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 315.9 1’33.979 3.135 / 0.008
17 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 300.0 1’33.980 3.136 / 0.001
18 22 Ivan SILVA SPA Avintia Blusens BQR 300.9 1’34.407 3.563 / 0.427
19 84 Roberto ROLFO ITA Speed Master ART 303.9 1’34.866 4.022 / 0.459
20 77 James ELLISON GBR Paul Bird Motorsport ART 304.6 1’34.918 4.074 / 0.052
21 73 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens BQR 309.1 1’35.363 4.519 / 0.445
22 71 Claudio CORTI ITA Avintia Blusens Inmotec 300.0 1’36.531 5.687 / 1.168