Motorsport
Pedrosa takes pole in Italy
2012-07-14 15:33
Mugello - In-form Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa
will start from pole in Sunday's Italian MotoGP after posting the
fastest time in qualifying on Saturday.
The 26-year-old
Honda star - who won last Sunday's German MotoGP - will start ahead of
series leader and compatriot Jorge Lorenzo, on a Yamaha, while another
Spaniard, Hector Barbera, is third on the grid on a Ducati.
It is Pedrosa's 39th pole position of his career - the 21st in this category.
His
Australian team-mate and defending world champion Casey Stoner, who
crashed when set for at least second place on the last lap of the German
MotoGP, was fifth fastest.
Pedrosa, who is second in the
standings, battled it out with Lorenzo for most of the session but it
was to end in disappointment for the latter when he had to come in early
on the last lap.
"I had engine problems in the final corners and I had to stop," said Lorenzo, who leads Pedrosa by 26 points.
"We have to correct this problem before tomorrow(Sunday)."
Barbera
achieved his best result in this category so far, outperforming the two
official Ducati entries of Italian legend Valentino Rossi, who was only
10th fastest, and Nicky Hayden, who was fourth quickest.