Dani Pedrosa’s Mugello pole position is his first in MotoGP™ since the
season-ending Valencia race of last year. Repsol Honda Team partner Marc
Marques progressed from Q1 to achieve sixth place, having crashed no
less than three times this weekend.
In sealing the top spot and thus breaking his own pole record for
Mugello, Pedrosa ends the stranglehold that has seen only either Marquez
or Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo take the top qualifying spot
so far this season.
"Today it was a hard session at the end," Pedrosa told motogp.com. "I
could not really find a space to do a lap time – many riders were behind
me. I was not high up in the order before my last lap, but was able to
do a great lap so I’m on pole tomorrow. The most important thing is that
we have made improvements to improve the rhythm of the bike."
Pedrosa was seen during the session to shake an arm at Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, but has since moved to elucidate the action:
"He was trying to follow me. I understand his position. It was not only him, he was just one of them, but everything is alright."
Marquez is the only rider to have finished on the rostrum at all Grands Prix so far this season, but the newcomer has so far endured a bruising weekend in Italy; crashes came in all three of the opening trio of practice sessions, with the second being a high-speed incident on the main straight which left him with a swollen chin.
"Sixth place today was the best that we could have hoped for and I am very happy with this result," he says, having missed out on the front row while equaling his grid position of the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix.
"At the end of qualifying I was able to put in a hot lap, but the race tomorrow is going to be difficult and tough. I won't be 100% physically because I'm bruised and sore; my shoulder is bothering me the most and we will see how it responds tomorrow. We are going to give our all, in any case, and see where we end up."
Heading into Round 5, Pedrosa leads Marquez in the Riders’ Championship by six points, whereas Honda and the Repsol squad also head up the Constructors’ and Teams’ title races.
Pedrosa was seen during the session to shake an arm at Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, but has since moved to elucidate the action:
"He was trying to follow me. I understand his position. It was not only him, he was just one of them, but everything is alright."
Marquez is the only rider to have finished on the rostrum at all Grands Prix so far this season, but the newcomer has so far endured a bruising weekend in Italy; crashes came in all three of the opening trio of practice sessions, with the second being a high-speed incident on the main straight which left him with a swollen chin.
"Sixth place today was the best that we could have hoped for and I am very happy with this result," he says, having missed out on the front row while equaling his grid position of the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix.
"At the end of qualifying I was able to put in a hot lap, but the race tomorrow is going to be difficult and tough. I won't be 100% physically because I'm bruised and sore; my shoulder is bothering me the most and we will see how it responds tomorrow. We are going to give our all, in any case, and see where we end up."
Heading into Round 5, Pedrosa leads Marquez in the Riders’ Championship by six points, whereas Honda and the Repsol squad also head up the Constructors’ and Teams’ title races.
