Moto2: Bautista claims wet provisional pole
Alvaro Bautista is on provisional pole in the 250cc class after setting the fastest time in a wet opening qualifying session at Phillip Island for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
Bautista didn't head the times until the final fifteen minutes, but when he got there he stayed there, taking provisional pole with eight minutes to go with a time of 1:43.873.
A flurry of times as the session ended saw the order shaken up behind him, Julian Simon second ahead of Lukas Pesek, and Marco Simoncelli.
Fabrizio Lai ended the session fifth fastest, having been the pacesetter at the halfway mark of the session. But he lost control of his bike entering the final turn and crashed into the tyres, injuring himself and consequently not taking any further part in the session.
Just behind Lai in sixth was Mika Kallio, who had a moment of his own at the 'Hayshed', somehow catching a huge opposite lock moment and surviving over the gravel before rejoining the track on the entry to Lukey Heights.
Yukio Takahashi, Alex Debon (who crashed at the 'Hayshed'), Roberto Locatelli and Hiroshi Aoyama completed the top ten.
Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:43.839
2. Julian Simon KTM 1:44.223 + 0.384
3. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 1:44.244 + 0.405
4. Marco Simoncelli Gilera 1:44.503 + 0.664
5. Fabrizio Lai Gilera 1:44.666 + 0.827
6. Mika Kallio KTM 1:44.842 + 1.003
7. Yuki Takahashi Honda 1:44.885 + 1.046
8. Alex Debon Aprilia 1:45.211 + 1.372
9. R. Locatelli Gilera 1:45.682 + 1.843
10. Hiroshi Aoyama KTM 1:45.792 + 1.953
11. R. Wilairot Honda 1:45.914 + 2.075
12. Hector Faubel Aprilia 1:46.077 + 2.238
13. Manuel Hernandez Aprilia 1:46.248 + 2.409
14. Imre Toth Aprilia 1:46.334 + 2.495
15. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 1:46.967 + 3.128
16. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia 1:47.208 + 3.369
17. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 1:47.482 + 3.643
18. Stefano Bianco Aprilia 1:47.654 + 3.815
19. Federico Sandi Aprilia 1:47.919 + 4.080
20. D. T. Pradita Yamaha 1:47.999 + 4.160
21. S. G. Giorgi Gilera 1:48.124 + 4.285
Not qualified (outside 107%):
Daniel Arcas Aprilia 1:58.615 +14.776
Chow Ho Wan Aprilia 2:04.557 +20.718
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