MotoGP Sepang
Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole for the first time since the Laguna Seca race. This is Lorenzo’s sixth pole position of the year and he has taken four wins and a second place from his previous poles in 2010.
Jorge Lorenzo needs to finish the race in ninth place or better, to become just the second Spanish rider to clinch the premier-class world title.
Second on the grid is Nicky Hayden; this is his best qualifying result since he was on pole at the Portuguese Grand Prix in 2007.
His only other front row start since joining the Ducati factory team at the start of 2009 was 3rd place on the grid at the Indianapolis Grand Prix earlier this year.
Andrea Dovizioso starts from the front row for just the third time since moving up to the MotoGP class in 2008. His third place finish at Sepang two years ago was his first podium finish on a MotoGP machine.
Ben Spies leads the second row of the grid – his best qualifying result since he was on pole at the Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Fifth on the grid is Casey Stoner; the first time he has failed to qualify on the front row since the Indianapolis Grand Prix.
After winning the last two races, Stoner will be going for three successive wins for the first time since he won at Donington, Assen and Sachsenring in 2008.
Sixth fastest qualifier is Valentino Rossi, who has made nine MotoGP starts without taking a win, which is his longest barren run since moving up to the premier class at the start of 2000.
Leading the third row of the grid is Colin Edwards, who has never finished higher than eighth at Sepang.
Taking the other two places on the third row are Suzuki team-mates Alvaro Bautista and Loris Capirossi. Both will be aiming to improve on the previous best result for Suzuki in the MotoGP class at Sepang which is sixth by John Hopkins in 2006 and by Chris Vermeulen last year.
Marco Melandri is tenth on the grid and is the top non-factory Honda rider for the first time this year.
Sepang Moto GP Grid Postions
| Pos. | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time | Gap 1st/Prev. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Fiat Yamaha Team | Yamaha | 309.2 | 2’01.537 | |
| 2 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 306.6 | 2’01.637 | 0.100 / 0.100 |
| 3 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 310.3 | 2’01.829 | 0.292 / 0.192 |
| 4 | 11 | Ben SPIES | USA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 304.5 | 2’01.993 | 0.456 / 0.164 |
| 5 | 27 | Casey STONER | AUS | Ducati Team | Ducati | 309.1 | 2’02.023 | 0.486 / 0.030 |
| 6 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Fiat Yamaha Team | Yamaha | 306.6 | 2’02.030 | 0.493 / 0.007 |
| 7 | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | USA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 308.8 | 2’02.097 | 0.560 / 0.067 |
| 8 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | Rizla Suzuki MotoGP | Suzuki | 308.1 | 2’02.394 | 0.857 / 0.297 |
| 9 | 65 | Loris CAPIROSSI | ITA | Rizla Suzuki MotoGP | Suzuki | 310.1 | 2’02.522 | 0.985 / 0.128 |
| 10 | 33 | Marco MELANDRI | ITA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | Honda | 309.6 | 2’02.624 | 1.087 / 0.102 |
| 11 | 58 | Marco SIMONCELLI | ITA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | Honda | 304.7 | 2’02.690 | 1.153 / 0.066 |
| 12 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Pramac Racing Team | Ducati | 306.6 | 2’02.723 | 1.186 / 0.033 |
| 13 | 14 | Randy DE PUNIET | FRA | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | 305.4 | 2’02.775 | 1.238 / 0.052 |
| 14 | 7 | Hiroshi AOYAMA | JPN | Interwetten Honda MotoGP | Honda | 308.8 | 2’02.778 | 1.241 / 0.003 |
| 15 | 40 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Paginas Amarillas Aspar | Ducati | 311.1 | 2’02.928 | 1.391 / 0.150 |
| 16 | 36 | Mika KALLIO | FIN | Pramac Racing Team | Ducati | 308.0 | 2’04.167 | 2.630 / 1.239 |
Moto2 Sepang
Julian Simon starts from pole for the third time in the Moto2 class. He has finished second at the last four successive races.
Alex de Angelis is starting from the second place on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole in the 250cc class at the British Grand Prix in 2007.
Thomas Luthi is the third fastest qualifier, equalling his best grid position of the year achieved at the Catalan Grand Prix, where he finished second.
Fourth place on the grid is Toni Elias, who starts from the front row for the ninth time in 2010. Elias needs to be 75 points ahead of Simon following the Malaysian Grand Prix to become the first ever Moto2 world champion.
Seventh fastest qualifier is Karel Abraham, which equals his best grid position of the year, achieved one week ago in Japan, when he went on to score his first ever GP podium finish.
Eighth on the grid is Scott Redding, the first time since the Czech GP that he has missed out on a front row start.
Both Alex Debon and Anthony West will be making their 150th Grand Prix start.
125cc GP Sepang
Spanish riders have won the last twenty-three 125cc races. The last non-Spanish winner in the 125cc class was Andrea Iannone at the Catalan Grand Prix last year.
Marc Marquez starts from pole for the tenth time in 2010. This is a new record for the most poles in a single season in the 125cc class.
Marquez has not previously finished a race in Malaysia, in 2008 he missed the race after crashing in practice and last year he qualified on pole, but retired on lap thirteen with mechanical problems.
Second on the grid is Bradley Smith, who has finished in second place at Sepang for the last two years and is starting from the front row for the tenth time in 2010.
Championship leader Nico Terol, who is the third fastest qualifier, has finished either first or second at the last five races since he returned to racing after missing the German GP through injury.
Pol Espargaro returns to the front row of the grid after qualifying outside the top four at the last two races.
Sixteen year old Danny Kent, making just his third Grand Prix start, has qualified in thirteenth, which is the best ever qualifying result for Lambretta.
