Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo is yet again the man to beat after a thrilling qualifying session for the Grand Prix of Spain at Jerez this afternoon.
Race fans witnessed an incredible 29 changes of provisional pole position as the riders fought it out on ever changing track conditions. Lorenzo was initially off the pace, running outside the top ten as dark clouds and a damp track threatened to ruin any chance of an improved time.
Some small set up changes and fresh rubber combined with the Mallorcan’s trademark determination saw him climb quickly up to the top spot, a position that was then hotly contested until the last moments of the session. Lorenzo finally beat fellow countryman Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) to pole by 0.135 seconds.
Jorge Lorenzo , Position 1st - Time 1.39.532 - Laps 24
“We are very happy with this pole position because it was a strange session. There were a lot of water patches and it was very dangerous. You had to pay a lot of attention, it would have been easy to crash and get injured. Anyway we start in first position so let’s see what happens in the race. Thank you to the team for working hard to keep giving the right set up in changing conditions.”
Dani Pedrosa
DANI PEDROSA 2nd 1'39.667
"It's been a really good qualifying session. It was very difficult to know how much to push because there were some wet spots and it was easy to make mistakes. Also after so many laps with wet tires in the free practices, when you put on the slicks it's like another bike but you have no time to waste to find a good lap time. So I'm quite impressed with the chrono and very happy to be on the front row. We've been riding well here in Jerez at the test and also during all the practice sessions this weekend, both in the dry and wet, but tomorrow we have to be ready for a tough race in any conditions and I want to have a good race here in front of my fans".
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