Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona: Date: 3-4 July Saturday 3 July: Qualifying: 1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online Sunday 4 July: 125cc and Moto2 races: 0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online Race live: 1230-1400, BBC Two/online MotoGP Extra: 1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online
 Lorenzo is looking for a third straight win from pole position |
World championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will start Sunday's Catalunya MotoGP in Barcelona from pole position after clocking the fastest qualifying time. Casey Stoner produced a good late lap to take second place, with Randy de Puniet in third spot. It was a third consecutive pole position for Lorenzo, who is also aiming for a third straight race win. "Tomorrow will be the toughest race of the season for me, it's so hot and the rear tyre was sliding a lot," he said. Stoner was struggling until he suddenly found form towards the end of the session, taking provisional pole until he was beaten by Lorenzo, who is 47 points clear of second-placed Dani Pedrosa in the championship standings.  | JENNIE GOW'S BLOG |
And despite his surprisingly good finish, the Australian Ducati rider was not happy with his bike. "We were struggling like hell with rear grip, it was spinning as soon as I touched the gas, no matter what we do we couldn't fix the problem," he told BBC Sport. "I expected it to work better in these temperatures - we've got some work to do before tomorrow." Stoner also had strong words for some of his fellow riders who had not got out of his way when he was trying to improve his lap time. "Everyone seems intent on stuffing me up," he said. "They look behind, see you coming and still don't get out of the way. "I'm ready to put someone in a wall, I'm getting sick and tired of it - it's part of racing tactics, but what goes around comes around." In qualifying for the 125cc race, Briton Bradley Smith qualified third, behind Spanish duo Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro. Italy's Andrea Iannone will start from front spot on the grid for the Moto2 race. Yuki Takahashi was second fastest, ahead of Thomas Luethi, with Great Britain's Scott Redding 14th fastest.
Catalunya MotoGP qualifying result: 1 J Lorenzo (Spn) Fiat Yamaha 1:42.046 2 C Stoner (Aus) Ducati 1:42.410 3 R de Puniet (Fra) LCR Honda 1:42.512 4 D Pedrosa (Spn) Repsol Honda 1:42.592 5 B Spies (US) Fiat Yamaha 1:42.710 6 A Dovizioso (Ita) Repsol Honda 1:42.866 7 L Capirossi (Ita) Suzuki 1:42.903 8 A Espargaro (Spn) Pramac Ducati 1:42.931 9 M Simoncelli (Ita) Gresini Honda 1:42.994 10 A Bautista (Spn) Suzuki 1:43.025 11 C Edwards (US) Fiat Yamaha 1:43.059 12 N Hayden (US) Ducati 1:43.068 13 H Barbera (Spn) Aspar Ducati 1:43.417 14 M Melandri (Ita) Gresini Honda 1:43.621 15 M Kallio (Fin) Pramac Ducati 1:43.685 16 K Akiyoshi (Jpn) Interwetten Honda 1:45.577 17 W Yoshikawa (Jpn) Fiat Yamaha 1:45.759
125 cc qualifying result: 1 M Marquez (Spn) Derbi 1:50.543 2 P Espargaro (Spn) Derbi 1:50.809 3 B Smith (GB) Aprilia 1:51.019 Moto2 qualifying result: 1 A Iannone (Ita) Speed Up 1:47.493 2 Y Takahashi (Jpn) Tech 3 1:47.760 3 T Luethi (Swi) Moriwaki 1:47.973
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