So we start the flyaway rounds of MotoGP with the trip no-one wanted to make to Motegi Japan. Qualifying results are as follows:

MotoGP
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time Gap 1st/Prev.
1 27 Casey STONER AUS Repsol Honda Team Honda 295.6 1'45.267
2 1 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 287.8 1'45.523 0.256 / 0.256
3 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 293.8 1'45.791 0.524 / 0.268
4 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 292.0 1'45.966 0.699 / 0.175
5 11 Ben SPIES USA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 292.4 1'46.042 0.775 / 0.076
6 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 292.4 1'46.211 0.944 / 0.169
7 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 290.9 1'46.467 1.200 / 0.256
8 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 288.5 1'46.586 1.319 / 0.119
9 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Mapfre Aspar Team MotoGP Ducati 287.5 1'46.694 1.427 / 0.108
10 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 289.5 1'46.763 1.496 / 0.069
11 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 290.2 1'46.811 1.544 / 0.048
12 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 281.9 1'46.818 1.551 / 0.007
13 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 285.5 1'46.917 1.650 / 0.099
14 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 289.3 1'47.165 1.898 / 0.248
15 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Ducati 284.7 1'47.922 2.655 / 0.757
16 24 Toni ELIAS SPA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 289.2 1'48.169 2.902 / 0.247
17 64 Kousuke AKIYOSHI JPN LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 286.5 1'48.367 3.100 / 0.198
18 6 Damian CUDLIN AUS Pramac Racing Team Ducati 275.0 1'48.962 3.695 / 0.595
19 72 Shinichi ITO JPN Honda Racing Team Honda 286.8 1'49.971 4.704 / 1.009

Moto2
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time Gap 1st/Prev.
1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol Suter 259.2 1'52.067
2 12 Thomas LUTHI SWI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Suter 260.9 1'52.260 0.193 / 0.193
3 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Speed Master Suter 259.6 1'52.423 0.356 / 0.163
4 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 254.3 1'52.645 0.578 / 0.222
5 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki 257.9 1'52.694 0.627 / 0.049
6 3 Simone CORSI ITA Ioda Racing Project FTR 256.2 1'52.696 0.629 / 0.002
7 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM JIR Moto2 Motobi 258.4 1'52.763 0.696 / 0.067
8 65 Stefan BRADL GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing Kalex 260.2 1'52.789 0.722 / 0.026
9 77 Dominique AEGERTER SWI Technomag-CIP Suter 257.8 1'52.799 0.732 / 0.010
10 75 Mattia PASINI ITA Ioda Racing Project FTR 255.8 1'52.853 0.786 / 0.054
11 18 Jordi TORRES SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter 254.2 1'52.949 0.882 / 0.096
12 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Marc VDS Racing Team Suter 258.7 1'53.082 1.015 / 0.133
13 40 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pons HP 40 Pons Kalex 257.8 1'53.135 1.068 / 0.053
14 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki 253.8 1'53.172 1.105 / 0.037
15 45 Scott REDDING GBR Marc VDS Racing Team Suter 252.9 1'53.201 1.134 / 0.029
16 19 Xavier SIMEON BEL Tech 3 B Tech 3 252.0 1'53.210 1.143 / 0.009
17 34 Esteve RABAT SPA Blusens-STX FTR 258.2 1'53.274 1.207 / 0.064
18 30 Takaaki NAKAGAMI JPN Italtrans Racing Team Suter 256.0 1'53.291 1.224 / 0.017
19 54 Kenan SOFUOGLU TUR Technomag-CIP Suter 256.7 1'53.376 1.309 / 0.085
20 35 Raffaele DE ROSA ITA NGM Forward Racing Suter 253.0 1'53.430 1.363 / 0.054
21 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA HP Tuenti Speed Up FTR 257.9 1'53.532 1.465 / 0.102
22 88 Ricard CARDUS SPA QMMF Racing Team Moriwaki 253.1 1'53.638 1.571 / 0.106
23 13 Anthony WEST AUS MZ Racing Team MZ-RE Honda 257.6 1'53.715 1.648 / 0.077
24 80 Axel PONS SPA Pons HP 40 Pons Kalex 259.4 1'53.755 1.688 / 0.040
25 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Tech 3 Racing Tech 3 254.2 1'53.779 1.712 / 0.024
26 14 Ratthapark WILAIROT THA Thai Honda Singha SAG FTR 253.5 1'53.818 1.751 / 0.039
27 16 Jules CLUZEL FRA NGM Forward Racing Suter 258.3 1'53.820 1.753 / 0.002
28 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Blusens-STX FTR 256.5 1'53.966 1.899 / 0.146
29 76 Max NEUKIRCHNER GER MZ Racing Team MZ-RE Honda 253.4 1'53.969 1.902 / 0.003
30 9 Kenny NOYES USA Avintia-STX FTR 255.9 1'54.161 2.094 / 0.192
31 53 Valentin DEBISE FRA Speed Up FTR 255.6 1'54.341 2.274 / 0.180
32 64 Santiago HERNANDEZ COL SAG Team FTR 255.0 1'54.375 2.308 / 0.034
33 7 Tomoyoshi KOYAMA JPN CIP with TSR TSR 6 257.8 1'54.441 2.374 / 0.066
34 6 Joan OLIVE SPA Aeroport de Castello FTR 254.2 1'54.740 2.673 / 0.299
35 95 Mashel AL NAIMI QAT QMMF Racing Team Moriwaki 255.1 1'54.744 2.677 / 0.004
36 39 Robertino PIETRI VEN Italtrans Racing Team Suter 251.1 1'54.911 2.844 / 0.167
37 33 Sergio GADEA SPA Desguaces La Torre G22 Moriwaki 251.8 1'55.558 3.491 / 0.647
4 Randy KRUMMENACHER SWI GP Team Switzerland Kiefer Racing Kalex

125
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time Gap 1st/Prev.
1 5 Johann ZARCO FRA Avant-AirAsia-Ajo Derbi 218.4 1'57.888
2 55 Hector FAUBEL SPA Bankia Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 221.1 1'58.130 0.242 / 0.242
3 18 Nicolas TEROL SPA Bankia Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 221.6 1'58.248 0.360 / 0.118
4 25 Maverick VIŅALES SPA Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing Aprilia 220.0 1'58.458 0.570 / 0.210
5 23 Alberto MONCAYO SPA Andalucia Banca Civica Aprilia 218.5 1'58.937 1.049 / 0.479
6 7 Efren VAZQUEZ SPA Avant-AirAsia-Ajo Derbi 218.1 1'59.002 1.114 / 0.065
7 11 Sandro CORTESE GER Intact-Racing Team Germany Aprilia 217.5 1'59.178 1.290 / 0.176
8 94 Jonas FOLGER GER Red Bull Ajo MotorSport Aprilia 220.6 1'59.210 1.322 / 0.032
9 26 Adrian MARTIN SPA Bankia Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 219.0 1'59.418 1.530 / 0.208
10 19 Alessandro TONUCCI ITA Team Italia FMI Aprilia 213.4 1'59.917 2.029 / 0.499
11 3 Luigi MORCIANO ITA Team Italia FMI Aprilia 215.4 1'59.977 2.089 / 0.060
12 39 Luis SALOM SPA RW Racing GP Aprilia 215.8 1'59.978 2.090 / 0.001
13 84 Jakub KORNFEIL CZE Ongetta-Centro Seta Aprilia 216.7 2'00.143 2.255 / 0.165
14 28 Josep RODRIGUEZ SPA Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing Aprilia 217.9 2'00.164 2.276 / 0.021
15 53 Jasper IWEMA NED Ongetta-Abbink Metaal Aprilia 216.2 2'00.367 2.479 / 0.203
16 77 Marcel SCHROTTER GER Mahindra Racing Mahindra 210.4 2'00.413 2.525 / 0.046
17 96 Louis ROSSI FRA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 213.4 2'00.510 2.622 / 0.097
18 52 Danny KENT GBR Red Bull Ajo MotorSport Aprilia 213.6 2'00.514 2.626 / 0.004
19 99 Danny WEBB GBR Mahindra Racing Mahindra 212.5 2'00.781 2.893 / 0.267
20 30 Giulian PEDONE SWI Phonica Racing Aprilia 212.2 2'00.939 3.051 / 0.158
21 10 Alexis MASBOU FRA Caretta Technology KTM 214.6 2'01.003 3.115 / 0.064
22 31 Niklas AJO FIN TT Motion Events Racing Aprilia 214.9 2'01.149 3.261 / 0.146
23 63 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN MAL Airasia-Sic-Ajo Derbi 214.5 2'01.234 3.346 / 0.085
24 21 Harry STAFFORD GBR Ongetta-Centro Seta Aprilia 212.1 2'01.286 3.398 / 0.052
25 82 Hikari OOKUBO JPN 18 Garage Racing Team Honda 208.4 2'01.422 3.534 / 0.136
26 8 Jack MILLER AUS Caretta Technology KTM 211.0 2'01.442 3.554 / 0.020
27 14 Brad BINDER RSA Andalucia Banca Civica Aprilia 214.7 2'01.682 3.794 / 0.240
28 17 Taylor MACKENZIE GBR Phonica Racing Aprilia 210.8 2'01.914 4.026 / 0.232
29 36 Joan PERELLO SPA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 206.9 2'01.939 4.051 / 0.025
30 50 Sturla FAGERHAUG NOR WTR-Ten10 Racing Aprilia 212.1 2'02.141 4.253 / 0.202
31 81 Hyuga WATANABE JPN Project u 7C Harc Honda 207.8 2'02.234 4.346 / 0.093
32 65 Syunya MORI JPN Phonica Racing Aprilia 212.0 2'02.247 4.359 / 0.013
33 79 Takehiro YAMAMOTO JPN Team Nobby Honda 203.0 2'04.122 6.234 / 1.875
34 80 Jun OHNISHI JPN Project u 7C Harc Honda 205.6 2'04.551 6.663 / 0.429
35 89 Luca FABRIZIO ITA WTR-Ten10 Racing Aprilia 207.5 2'05.631 7.743 / 1.080


Casey Stoner really is amazing. After setting an early fast time, he was challenged first by Pedrosa and then by Lorenzo and he just keeps responding to the challenge immediately. Props to Lorenzo and his crew though, they were nowhere near it for the first three sessions but proved their class again with a strong front row start and Mr Invisible looks really determined with his front row start. Props also to Ben Spies who is fighting food poisoning to post a really good time.

I feel really sorry for Stefan Bradl. The writing really appears to be on the wall for him with Marquez taking pole and seemingly only Luthi there to give him competition. Hopefully we see a battle between Stef and Marc tomorrow.

And for Johann Zarco, hopefully his pole position is finally rewarded with an overdue win!