Jorge Lorenzo on course for eighth pole of season

Jorge Lorenzo set a fastest lap of 203"238. © Fortuna Aprilia. Jorge Lorenzo has taken provisional pole for the Czech Republic GP in Brno and is now on course for his eighth pole of the season. The Fortuna Aprilia rider was once again superior to all his main rivals, finishing more than half a second ahead of second-placed Andrea Dovizioso – his closest rival in the 250cc World Championship.

Jorge Lorenzo: “I went back to work in quite respectful mood because normally it takes me a while to find my form after a break from racing. We still have the most difficult part of the weekend ahead, but I feel in top form. We are still around a second of the times from last year, but we must be happy because we are first and, looking at the times, the others have a lot of work to do. I had one or two problems with the breaks and we must work to improve that as this circuit is very hard on the suspension. I am hopeful that the weather won't bother us, if it's going to rain let's just hope it's after the race on Sunday.” (Fortuna Aprilia)

Andrea Dovizioso: “Today it went quite well but we have to be one second faster in order to be more competitive. I know it won't be easy but we have some margin of improvement in terms of riding more than general set-up. I've not been riding since Sachsenring and also it takes a while to get a good rhythm here at Brno. Well, I can for sure improve my lap times also because there will be more grip if it won't rain tomorrow”. (Humangest Racing Team)

All the other riders finished over 1.4 seconds behind Lorenzo, starting with Hector Barbera – now completely recovered from his hand injury - who took third position on the first day of qualifying. The Valencian rider worked hard on the set-up of his bike, above all on the fornt end. The two Fortuna Aprilia riders will now hope to build on their excellent performances tomorrow and take maximum points in the race. The big doubt surrounding the weekend is the weather, with forecasts predicting rain before the weekend is out.

Hector Barbera: “I am happy with third place, but not with the distance to pole position. I believe we are on the right track, but we still have a lot to do if we want to think about winning. I had some problems with the set-up which prevented me from feeling comfortable, including the rear tyre and the front end. Problems like that really affect you at a circuit like this. I believe tomorrow we can go faster and also prepare for a race which could be affected by rain.” (Fortuna Aprilia)

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