San Marino MotoGP, Misano
Date: 5-6 September
Sunday 6 September: 125cc and 250cc races: 0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race live: 1230-1400, BBC One/online; MotoGP Extra, 1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online

Rossi reveals his new 'donkey' helmet

Championship leader Valentino Rossi claimed a dramatic pole position for Sunday's San Marino MotoGP at Misano.

The Italian set a lap time of one minute 34.338 seconds, ahead of the Spanish pair Dani Pedrosa on the Honda and Jorge Lorenzo on the Yamaha.

Both Pedrosa and Lorenzo were in pole position at stages of a dramatic final qualifying lap before Rossi pounced to secure his fifth pole of the season.

The Italian leads Lorenzo by 25 points in the Championship standings.

With only minutes remaining pole position had looked beyond the eight time world champion.

But the defending champion took a risk by changing his tyres and then produced a stunning lap to claim the 57th pole of his career.

606: DEBATE Who will win Sunday's race?

Spain's Toni Elias qualified in fourth place, over half a second behind Rossi, with Yamaha's Colin Edwards fifth.

"The track was more slippery than this morning but the team did a fantastic job changing my tyre in a time worthy of a Formula One mechanic," said 30-year-old Rossi.

With former world champion Casey Stoner still out with a mystery virus, Pedrosa is hopeful of moving up to third from fourth in the overall standings this weekend.

"It's important to be in second position on this circuit but we have to improve," admitted the Spaniard.

In qualifying for the 125cc race at San Marino, Britain's Bradley Smith set the fastest time ahead of Championship leader Julian Simon and France's Andrea Iannone.

Smith set the pace with a lap of 1min 43.727secs.

On pole in the 250cc race on Sunday will be Japan's championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama with Spain's Hector Barbera second and reigning world champion Marco Simoncelli in third place.

San Marino MotoGP qualifying result:

1 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 1 min 34.338 secs
2 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 1:34.560
3 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 1:34.808
4 Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 1:34.907
5 Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 1:35.184
6 Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 1:35.223
7 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Honda 1:35.343
8 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 1:35.492
9 Randy de Puniet (France) Honda 1:35.554
10 Loris Capirossi (Italy) Suzuki 1:35.561

125cc qualifying:

1 Bradley Smith (Gbr) Aprilia 1min 43.727secs
2 Julian Simon (Spa) Aprilia 1:43.743
3 Andrea Iannone (Fra) Aprilia 1:43.890
4 Nicolas Terol (Spa) Aprilia 1:43.987
5 Sergio Gadea (Spa) Aprilia 1:44.062
6 Pol Espargaro (Spa) Derbi 1:44.171
7 Marc Marquez (Spa) KTM 1:44.179
8 Simone Corsi (Ita) Aprilia 1:44.349
9 Stefan Bradl (Ger) Aprilia 1:44.656
10 Sandro Cortese (Ger) Derbi 1:44.929
11 Efren Vazquez (Spa) Derbi 1:45.116
12 Esteve Rabat (Spa) Aprilia 1:45.157
13 Danny Webb (Gbr) Aprilia 1:45.188
14 Scott Redding (Gbr) Aprilia 1:45.213
15 Johann Zarco (Fra) Aprilia 1:45.226

250cc qualifying:

1 Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) Honda 1 min 38.867 secs
2 Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 1:38.875
3 Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Gilera 1:39.038
4 Mattia Pasini (Italy) Aprilia 1:39.068
5 Mike Di Meglio (France) Aprilia 1:39.397
6 Alex Debon (Spain) Aprilia 1:39.416
7 Hector Faubel (Spain) Honda 1:39.602
8 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Aprilia 1:39.825
9 Roberto Locatelli (Italy) Gilera 1:39.91015
10 Ratthapark Wilairot (Thailand) Honda 1:39.969

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