Moto2: Bautista takes Qatar 250cc pole
Last year's championship runner-up Alvaro Bautista got his 2009 250cc title challenge off to a good start by beating Hiroshi Aoyama to pole for round one in Qatar
Having topped final practice, Aoyama sat on provisional pole for much of the session, as he returned to the Honda fold with the Scot team after three seasons on KTMs.
But in the last few minutes Aspar Aprilia rider Bautista snatched pole position away from Aoyama, and although the Japanese rider edged closer, Bautista was able to improve again and finally secure pole with a time of 2m00.677s, a tenth clear of Aoyama.
Reigning 125cc champion Mike di Meglio announced his arrival in 250cc with an impressive third on the grid for Aspar, ahead of series regular Hector Barbera.
Gabor Talmacsi, di Meglio's predecessor as 125cc title-winner, topped his first practice session as a 250cc rider yesterday, but only managed sixth on the grid, behind Hector Faubel.
The session was delayed by 25 minutes due to a brief rain shower at the floodlit desert circuit. The late start meant that qualifying did not finish until 1.15am local time.
2008 champion Marco Simoncelli did not take part in the session, having withdrawn from the event due to pain from a wrist injury.
Pos Rider Bike Time Gap 1. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 2m00.677s 2. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 2m00.777s + 0.100s 3. Mike Di Meglio Aprilia 2m01.113s + 0.436s 4. Hector Barbera Aprilia 2m01.174s + 0.497s 5. Hector Faubel Honda 2m01.636s + 0.959s 6. Gabor Talmacsi Aprilia 2m01.693s + 1.016s 7. Mattia Pasini Aprilia 2m01.699s + 1.022s 8. Alex Debon Aprilia 2m01.713s + 1.036s 9. Thomas Luthi Aprilia 2m01.738s + 1.061s 10. Roberto Locatelli Gilera 2m01.839s + 1.162s 11. Karel Abraham Aprilia 2m01.872s + 1.195s 12. Ratthapark Wilairot Honda 2m02.062s + 1.385s 13. Jules Cluzel Aprilia 2m02.113s + 1.436s 14. Raffaele De Rosa Honda 2m02.408s + 1.731s 15. Lukas Pesek Aprilia 2m02.567s + 1.890s 16. Shoya Tomizawa Honda 2m03.590s + 2.913s 17. Alex Baldolini Aprilia 2m03.592s + 2.915s 18. Imre Toth Aprilia 2m04.895s + 4.218s 19. Axel Pons Aprilia 2m05.240s + 4.563s 20. Vladimir Leonov Aprilia 2m06.329s + 5.652s 21. Bastien Chesaux Honda 2m07.096s + 6.419s 22. Aitor Rodriguez Aprilia 2m07.701s + 7.024s
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