GRAND PRIX OF CHINA
Qualifying practice / DEMONSTRATION FROM THE FORTUNA
APRILIA RIDERS IN CHINA – BARBERA ON POLE AND LORENZO
SECOND
The fourth Grand Prix of the 2006 season and a fourth pole
for the FORTUNA APRILIA Team, the dominant force in the 250
championship. With Jorge Lorenzo having claimed the first
three in Jerez, Qatar and Turkey, this time it was the turn
of Hector Barbera who claimed his best-ever 250 qualifying
result. Lorenzo was sitting in first until the dying moments
of the session when he was edged out by his team-mate, but
ended second with the third-placed rider a second behind the
two Fortuna men. Barbera and Lorenzo were the only two riders
who got under 2.06 – four tenths quicker than the lap
record set by Casey Stoner last year. Hector and Jorge will
once again look to dominate the race with Jorge having claimed
two wins already this season, while Barbera clinched his first
250 podium last time out in Turkey.
HÉCTOR BARBERÁ, Pole position, 2.05.781
seconds
“I am very happy with this pole position, my first
in the 250 class and only my second in the World Championship.
After getting my first 250 podium in Turkey and now this all
that is left is to win a race and then think about the title.
I am always looking to improve myself. I believe we are competitive
and you must bear in mind we have only had two sessions in
dry conditions so far. We are not at 100 percent yet and must
do some more work in the warm-up tomorrow. I believe we can
fight for the win, or if not get on the podium again.”
JORGE LORENZO, 2nd 2.05.948 seconds
“I can’t be happy because I never am when I finish
second. The two days of qualifying have been difficult because
the changeable weather conditions have made it difficult to
set the bike up. I’ve let a fourth pole position get
away, but at least it wasn’t in the race. We still have
the 20-minute warm-up tomorrow to improve the bike and then
plenty of laps to demonstrate our potential. I would prefer
a dry race without the kind of problems early on that I endured
in Turkey where I was a step ahead of everyone but unable
to demonstrate my potential.”
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