Front row for Valentino Rossi, Fonsi Nieto and Pablo Nieto in South Africa.
Rossi second behind Sete Gibernau in MotoGP, Fonsi Nieto fourth in 250cc. and Pablo Nieto second in 125cc.
Today’s times, very level in the three categories, vouch for very level races tomorrow in the South African circuit of Welkom. In the MotoGP class, the Italian Valentino Rossi finally clocked the second fastest time of the day right behind the Spaniard Sete Gibernau and ahead of his fellow countryman Max Biaggi. His team-mate Nicky Hayden, in constant evolution, made up one position with regard to yesterday, finishing eleventh.
In 250cc, the consequences of the crash suffered yesterday afternoon by Toni Elias – he injured his left hand thumb – hindered him from fighting for the front row positions. Despite improving his fastest time from yesterday in the last moments of the second qualifying session, Elias kept the position he had yesterday and will take the start from the second row of the grid. His team-mate Fonsi Nieto, who had taken provisional pole yesterday, was hindered by heavy traffic on the track and was not able to defend his grid position, finishing fourth. Sebastián Porto was fifth, a highly motivated Héctor Faubel tenth and Joan Olivé twenty-first.
In the 125cc, Pablo Nieto, after leading during the second half of the session, finally finished second fastest, and he’ll be taking the start tomorrow from the front row of the grid. However, mechanical problems have been the general tendency today for the rest of the Repsol riders. Problems in both of their bikes set an unsatisfied Dani Pedrosa back to the ninth and the young Héctor Barberá back to the thirteenth position.
