MotoGP Sunday race day guide
MotoGP
• Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole for the first time since Laguna Seca. This is Lorenzo’s ninth pole since moving up to the MotoGP class, however the only time he has won from pole was at Estoril last year.
• This is the eleventh pole of the year for Yamaha, which is their greatest ever number of premier-class pole positions in a single season.
• If any of the Yamaha riders finish on the podium then Yamaha will take the MotoGP Constructors title irrespective of other results.
• Valentino Rossi, who is making his 100th GP start since joining Yamaha, joins his team-mate on the front row for the eleventh time this year. Rossi has finished on the podium on each of his nine visits to the Estoril circuit, including five race victories.
• Taking the final place on the front row is Casey Stoner, who will be aiming to give Ducati their first ever Grand Prix victory at the Estoril circuit. Stoner’s third place finish in 2007 is his only podium from three MotoGP starts at Estoril.
• In fourth place on the grid is Dani Pedrosa – this is the first time since the German GP that he has failed to qualify on the front row. Estoril is one of just four current circuits where Pedrosa has not had a win in any class of GP racing.
• Colin Edwards starts from fifth on the grid for the fourth successive race. Edwards will be aiming to finish on the podium at Estoril for the first time, having been 4th in both 2006 and 2008.
• Sixth on the grid is the best qualifying result for Randy de Puniet since the German Grand Prix.
• Loris Capirossi will be starting from seventh on the grid, his best qualifying result since Assen.
• Andrea Dovizioso crashed at Estoril last year – his only non-scoring race in his debut season in the MotoGP class.
• Thirteenth on the grid is Toni Elías, who scored his only MotoGP win at the Portuguese GP two years ago after qualifying in eleventh.
250cc
• Héctor Barberá has qualified on pole for the fourth time this year; however he has failed to win on the three previous occasions he has started from pole in 2009.
• Álvaro Bautista starts from the front row of the grid for the first time since the German GP back in July. Bautista has won for the last three years in Portugal – the 125cc race in 2006 and the 250cc race in both 2007 and 2008.
• Marco Simoncelli missed the opening race of the year in Qatar, but has since started on the front row at every race. His second place last year at Estoril was his first podium finish on a 250cc machine
• In fourth place on the grid is Hiroshi Aoyama, who is starting from the front row for the seventh successive race.
• Raffaele de Rosa is in sixth place on the grid, equalling his best qualifying result since moving to the 250cc class – at the Japanese GP earlier this year.
125cc
• Julián Simón starts from pole for the sixth time this year. From his previous five poles in 2009 he has only gone on to finish on the podium twice – second place in Qatar and a win in Germany. His best previous result at Estoril is 5th, in 2006 when riding a KTM.
• If Julián Simón wins the race he would win the world title if Nico Terol finishes no higher than 9th and Bradley Smith finishes no higher than 5th.
• Pol Espargaró starts from second on the grid which equals his best qualifying result of the year that he achieved in Catalunya.
• Bradley Smith has qualified on the front row for the seventh time in 2009. Smith has not had a top ten finish at Estoril in his three previous GP starts at the circuit.
• In fourth on the grid is Marc Márquez, who starts on the front row for the first time since the British GP.
• Fifth place on the grid is Stefan Bradl’s best qualifying result since he took the final slot on the front row at Assen.
• Danny Webb is tenth on the grid – his best qualifying result since the Italian Grand Prix. Last year at Estoril Webb finished fifth, his best ever result in Grand Prix racing.
