Valencia Qualifying MotoGP

Ready for the race in Qatar! They are waived. Lorenzo across the line

wins in Qatar! We are making history, across the line! Raced two,

first when! Records, records, records, it is

another! Mark-up -- Marc Marquez wins again! He tries to come back!

He has done it. Lorenzo has done it, Montez second. -- Marc Marquez.

He is going again. You cannot do that. They have gone into each

other. Marc Marquez, lap flag. All gay Lorenzo wins in Japan. The

championship goes down to the wire. -- Jorge Lorenzo.

Welcome to Valencia, the final round of the MotoGP World Championship and

after a recent run of form for Jorge Lorenzo, it has come down to this.

after a recent run of form for Jorge strike a psychological low with 13

points between them at the top. Only a mistake from Marc Marquez can deny

him the title. A top finish will be enough. No other changes in the top

five whatever happens tomorrow. SoCal Critchlow is safe and

Valentino Rossi is fourth at the end of a difficult season after his

return to Yamaha which has ended in controversial fashion. A story

wreaked in the Italian press that after 14 years, Valentino Rossi was

planning to sack his crew chief. But he has decided to sack him after 14

years together. That was leaked in the week and it was confirmed here

by Valentino Rossi on Thursday afternoon and yesterday evening, in

a press expecting it. I knew yesterday

afternoon when Valentino invited me into his trailer that we were not

going in for the Christmas bonus! I have read many sports biographies

and quite often, in many cases, the top sportsmen in the latter part of

their careers have a change of coach. This is what we are working

on now, we have always worked on fixing the problems and we have

worked for four years trying to do that and this is part of the fit.

The next step to get him back on top. -- fix.

We spoke together, I tried to explain that I need to change to

something different. Like you said, a new boost. More motivation. And

something different. Like you said, that announcement, a shock

announcement for JB and is, what is the feeling like in the team? -- and

for us. It is far from ideal to have this happen before any grant the and

to have it happen at all. -- Grand Prix. But we expect the decision --

but we respect the decision but it leaves a question about most of the

people in the garage because JP has been a part of the team for ten

years or longer. Ten years since he joined Yamaha. It will take time for

people to understand what it means and only on Monday will people

really understand what it means to not have JB -- JP in the garage. It

seems to be strangely handled. They would talking about the need to

change. would talking about the need to

Nobody knows. Rider felt he needed a change in the organisation. If this

gives him a new organisation and motivation and a different system,

it may work. The chief has done excellent work and he knows

Valentino and Yamaha inside out so we have no complaints about what he

has done and so it is an unknown factor. But it is something

Valentino believed in so we will see.

We have yet to hear who the new crew chief will be but a big weekend for

Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha. What is his feelings going into this race?

He is relaxed and come -- and confident, and he is fast. It is

just to try to render confident, and he is fast. It is

for the race. Marc Marquez has been fastest in every session so far and

a new lap record, is that a good thing or a bad thing for Jorge

Lorenzo? Perhaps he wants Marc Marquez to be confident enough and

pressured into a mistake. He is fastest in every session except this

so it is something we expected. I do not think we can hope anything

except for Marc Marquez to put pressure on him. It is a big ask but

in racing, anything is possible. We have had times this year Jorge

Lorenzo was out due to injury, Valentino has been taken out by

Alvaro Bautista, crazy things can happen in racing. We are still in

the game which we happen in racing. We are still in

other tactics to put the pressure on Mark -- two. In practice yesterday,

Marc turns round and there was a shake of the head. All in good

humour. Team Principal for Repsol Honda Team how is Marc handling the

weekend? A lot of expectation and pressure. It is not the first time

he has been in Valencia. He is young but he has a lot of experience and

he is OK. Yesterday on track, he was fast and comfortable. Jorge Lorenzo

is very strong. Five point separate the top three. -5 points. We have

seen it so many times this season but Marc only knows one way to ride,

on the edge. not perfect, they should still

manage to maintain a position. Thank you. So Jorge Lorenzo was fastest in

the practice but twice a couple of moments ago but that did not count

towards the qualifying order. That is decided from everybody outside

the top ten after the fact this morning. Marc was quickest in that

session. Faster than Dani Pedrosa 's opposition record from last season.

Lorenzo a temp outside that so the pace very hot at the top. -- Lorenzo

is one tenth. macro. -- Esparargo. It will be

great to see Colin strutting his stuff at the top end. They hope to

have two bikes for the test and it is pretty much going to be Bradley

Smith 's bike. Just with different bodywork. They have a year to build

their own chassis so they will be busy holding that to use and carry

on with. But to start with, it will be Bradley Smith 's bike. An

interesting package and I am sure Colin Edwards is looking forward to

that. But by a very big margin, that test, which is always the Monday

after the last race at Valencia, is the most fascinating because if

anybody is changing bikes, the most fascinating because if

and was almost last. Casey Stoner got of the Ducati Team was seconds

-- second-fastest on the Ducati Team. But Valentino Rossi had a

shoulder injury. On Wednesday, key was thinking, I have not done the

right thing! -- he was thinking. Nicky Hayden will be on the

production, -- production Honda. He will be riding that. Bradley Smith

will be joined by Espargaro. It is quite interesting. We have

different variants. You have your full factory

different variants. You have your Yamaha R Efren -- offering engines,

there will be different speeds, Exeter. And different fuel. The sort

of customer bikes can run 24, but they have to run different engine

management systems, so it is complicated. Dorna are hoping by the

end of next year, 2014, everything will be fairly similar. The factory

bikes will have constraints with the lap of fuel they have so it is

hoping -- it is hoped we will end up with one simple class. There never

will be a simple class because the big budget teams can afford better

riders. We are just simple commentators but it would make

perfect sense to do that! By changing the regulations bit by bit,

the organisers are hoping it becomes compelling for the factory bikes.

first lap of this session. This is a 15 minute session with the slower

guys. Ten guys are locked in to the qualifying two. Two of the riders

out on the track so there are 16, they will go through into the final

qualifying session. Ten minutes of the session, fastest at the moment

is Claudio Corti. But we would expect, you would have to think

Andrea Iannone would squeeze through and Espargaro. They would be the

favourites. is struggling with a hand injury. A

pinky injury. This is Colin Edwards, the last weekend he will be riding

that Kawasaki engine. He is also a good battle at around this circuit.

There is not a great deal of wind, perfect conditions. The sun is out.

Oh, my goodness me. That is Michel Pirro. He is on the factory test

bike. There's a Pramac colours. Oh, my goodness me. That is the end of

the session for him. Only eight minutes remaining. That could be a

Cal Crutchlow bike. It could well be.

Cal Crutchlow bike. It could well good time. They are good times,

conditions couldn't be better. Most of these guys, they will be running

the softer tyre, they get the softer option than the Factory bikes.

Generally doing about three or four laps around this circuit. This is

one of the shortest circuits we go to. You will see some extra people

around here. 26 on the grid. There are lots of people having a go on

the factory test bikes. All these people will shuffle around.

the factory test bikes. All these having a look at what is going on.

They're putting a rear tyre on that Aprilia. Do you think a short

circuit like this, is it more or less of an advantage to someone like

Aspagaro? I would have said about six tenths of it is an advantage and

then we've got a pretty long straight. 200 miles an hour

straight. That is where they will lose out. You're coming off a very

slow corner. And it is a bit of a drag race down to the bottom, so

they will lose time. On a twisty circuit, on the twisty parts of this

circuit, the first few laps of the race especially for someone like

Aspagaro is great. Now, they've got a front end problem, the dumping or

the front a front end problem, the dumping or

Very impressive. There he is, in 11th place in front of Iannone,

Pirro, Colin Edwards, and Bradley Smith. Terrific performance from him

on a bike that is readily available, still not cheap goods they are still

about half 1 million euros. There was bike number 68, the Pramac

machine of Yonny Hernandez. There is Pirro explaining what he did with

his motorbike. He might get out for a quick lap. I'm not sure. We have

five minutes remaining. He is unlikely to get out and get out

faster. That's a good point. He has almost certainly missed the cut. So,

five better all year long. He has been

learning the bike as he goes. He has gone on to this bike, the full-blown

Aprilia. How would you say his year has gone? He has had a great year,

bearing in mind he came to the circuits and switched bikes. It was

very tough at the beginning because that first bike was brand-new,

different electronics on it, everything had to be sorted out, and

it was tough in those early days. He got faster and faster. Honestly, he

was starting to beat the IRTA machine which Yonny Hernandez was

riding. Something British made getting better and being ridden by a

British rider, brilliant stuff. So, let's take a look at the places.

is very good. Also, Colin Edwards is moving further up. The unmistakable

riding style of Colin Edwards. On the front of the handlebars,

virtually. That is dirt tracking experience for you as well. That is

where he comes from, the Colin Edwards Boot Camp we visited earlier

in the year. That is a better time for him. Look at this, though,

Iannone and Petrucci, of all things. Here comes Iannone. This looks

like, it might get him to the top. Yes, by more than a 10th. Petrucci

is on a great lap as well. Yes, by more than a 10th. Petrucci

lap time for him, bearing in mind 30 -- 30 2.8 was his best. Hernandez

has improved, too. Petrucci was chipping away in the background, and

he has done well. You can see his size, he is a big lad, especially in

the police force he was in, can you see the rear tyre? It is being

squashed down into the track. He throws the bike up as quick as he

can, transferring his body weight. Looking for the next corner,

flinging himself. He is on a CRT machine, so that rear tire you are

looking at is softer than the rear tyres on Iannone's bike. But there

are, he tyres on Iannone's bike. But there

Barbera got called out. Certainly down to turn one. Iannone checking

the time. Doesn't matter. He's locked himself in it. Hector Barbera

area, he is out. He has overdone it. Oh, no. I spoke too soon. There is

Yonny Hernandez taking the long walk back to explain to the boss what

he's done. Contrition is too late, you've broken it! Just folded out

there. Relatively painless from a cost point of view. Very costly from

a grid point of view. Let's just say, he lost the front as he got off

the brakes, tipped it in there. That is a fast corner, too. Very fast!

Bit of gesticulation there. is a fast corner, too. Very fast!

good. Look at this, he's made up a lot of time in this section. This is

turned 13. He's got it spinning up through there. Soft front tyre and

soft rear. One more corner to go. If he can fire it over the line, it

will put it over. Will he do it? No! He lost the drive over the last

corner. That is the difference between CRT and MotoGP. The first

four covered by 600 s. Very fast. between CRT and MotoGP. The first

is Iannone and Petrucci. That's why he didn't get out of the corner of

very quickly. Perhaps an electrical problem? Oil on the pipe. Unless

they've got some oil on the exhaust. Anyway, it's not happened

for him. Iannone and Petrucci go through to the final qualifying

session taking place in about five or ten minutes time. Poor old Pirro,

that last lap, when he was six hundredths off pole in this session,

you had to say to yourself, she had the pace, if he hadn't made that

mistake. Esparagaro, you've got to hope he has an engine problem that

can be resolved. It is rare that he doesn't climb his way into the

second qualifying. But not doesn't climb his way into the

faster. So, Pramac win that. One Ducati up into the top half. Through

Ducati s up into that next qualifier. Petrucci is through as

well. That is a good turn up. 29, Iannone, who has had some injury

problems this year. There is as little brother, Petrucci. He doesn't

move much. He speaks when he's spoken to. In they come, bikes

number 23, as you can see, and 45. going to win this championship!

There's no doubt, those two guys are going through, we have a short break

now, they come out and get another 15 minutes with all the top guys.

You're right, the crowd here is bigger than I have ever, ever seen

here are even on a Sunday. There has to be, rumour has it, they have sold

at 90,000 for tomorrow. I reckon there is 70,000 here today. This

circuit is extraordinary. It is a wonderful stadium, if you like, a

military version of the NASCAR. Everybody can view it, high

grandstands, it is said in the hillside, so people who can't afford

the ticket camels back hillside, so people who can't afford

on this track. Can you imagine what it is going to be liked down the

local pub? You go into one of the places locally, there will be in the

bike in the main bar doing a burn-out. Cheste is the town you

want to go to. That is where the train station comes in, so everyone

to camps back into the train at 4am. Now, what a run for Petrucci. First

time in Q2. You got a great feeling out there. Your first time in Q2. It

is great. It is actually the second time. Sorry! No problem. We have had

very financial problems. We are very happy to go on. I think we

very financial problems. We are very do in the next session? -- the last

qualifying tyre. We will use another tyre for the session.

A few problems in the Forward Racing garage here. An electrical problem

with a main bike, what happened? Maybe a sensor does not work so the

bike does not start any more. Gave a second bike but there is no way. You

did quite well because his second lap on the other bike was fifth

Asterix overall so perhaps he missed out on a chance for Q2. -- fifth

fastest. Yes, I am sorry. I want to ask about the test later this week.

fastest. Yes, I am sorry. I want to and Cudlin -- and Aleix Espargaro.

Very excited. And the machine is quite something.

Yes, this evening, we will have the Yamaha bikes in the garage. Thank

you. No Ford racing bikes in Q2 but plenty next season.

It will be very exciting because they will have half the great and

MGM have astonishing hospitality. It is a very big outfit, an enormous

commitment in MotoGP and through the classes. It is great to see and it

is good to see independent teams like MGM, guys running and owning

the teams charging on. And PBM. It is like you say in F1, you have

Williams and people like that. And it is great they are now able to

Williams and people like that. And positions. You need Colin for his

experience. A reservoir of knowledge. With the factory Yamaha

team, he came closest to winning. And in the me shall in days, their

most prized higher tester. He knows the Yamaha bikes inside out. Very

sad news Jerry is leaving. I have known him forever, when I was

racing, he was engineering. I think his treatment has been quite

bruising. All of a sudden out of nowhere, he has been dropped. That

was an extremely uncomfortable as conference. I completely agree. He

showed Grace under pressure but it was horrible. Very

even in those circumstances, was good for a one-liner. -- quip. When

he said, I knew we were not talking Christmas bonus. But faces of the

crew! Yes, they will feel like the King has gone. And they all

Australians attracted by him in the first place. They all travel long

distances. There was an open question left either Yamaha bass

about whether Valentino Rossi 's pit crew would stay. He has said he was

pleased with the rest and it would be up to them if they stay. I would

imagine they would, it is a great job. No point in kidding ourselves

it is not. anything else. It's not imperative

to get the pole position. anything else. It's not imperative

to get the He's as good as anyone to get the pole position. There is no

point trying to actually mail pole position by risking injuring

yourself. The start is not the strongest part of markers's raise.

-- Marquez's race. OK, so he's out touring. Everybody is out now. We

have 4.5 minutes left. Everyone, that is the top 12, out there. He is

back it! that is the top 12, out there. He is

don't want to write that. It's like swapping toothbrushes! He's not

happy but he's in full position. I would say he's guaranteed to be

locked on the front row. Marc Marquez could possibly go faster.

Cal Crutchlow, not possibly going to go faster. This is interesting,

giving somebody a little wave on the pit lane. He is on the chill pill.

He's very relaxed! In that helmet he is stressed. You know when you trip

over and you make out you didn't want to... OK, this will get very

serious. Everyone is out there, now it is starting for real. Now is

Marquez out there. The second split is going to be the

important one. The first split was where the big breaking moment was.

Look at the intention on him. Two tenths on the first split.

Look at the intention on him. Two second! He looked as if he was

riding a broken toilet seat, but he is four tenths up! Not possible!

Smith, third? Well done, Bradley, nice work! Love your work. That's

amazing! Did they not talk to this guy? He

amazing! Did they not talk to this What about T2, 93? He's done it! He

was OK on the last split. OK? The rest of it was a screamer. That's

pretty much what he did in free practice. Actually six tenths faster

than he has been all day. I think you can part, sunshine. Yes, be in

the Garrard, not the gravel. That's the corner. That top corner is

critical as well. And then you work around the back. One minute

remaining, Marc Marquez is four tenths faster. There is daddy.

Fingers crossed. You don't need to bother any more. What will Jorge

Lorenzo do? This is the lap to build the speed up.

Lorenzo do? This is the lap to build and just power and fire the bike

out. Look, you can compromise that my survey. You don't often see Dani

Pedrosa sideways! That must have lost him sometime. Will he make the

front row? Yes, he has. He's got another lap. Bautista has had an

excursion through the gravel. The chequered flag is out. This is more

than excursion. It's so it We told him to put it in the

Garrard! There is the measure, Steve. That's a great lap. You can

see the body language, he wasn't pleased to go out on this bike. He

has gone faster. Even so, there is a cheeky monkey on the Honda that is

three tenths down the road from him. Dani Pedrosa, he could move up, he

could dispose with Jorge Lorenzo's second place on the grid. It'll be

close. He hasn't done it. He's missed it. Under a tent. So close.

close. He hasn't done it. He's markers, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, it sums

up the Championship. Now, that's what I'm talking about. What?

There's nothing you can do to slow him down. That breaking your talking

about where he tries to tip it in even though he's only on the front

wheel. And that corner is where he leans the bike over most. 61 degrees

lean angle. It is uphill and captures a lot of people out. It is

easy to lock up the front. Have a look at this. He is such a good

starter, Lorenzo. He's going to be alongside Marquez, that's his best

shot. I love the sound of that. Honda win the award for best

sounding motorcycle. Honda win the award for best

lap goes back to 2008 for Casey Stoner.

So, 8.5 out of ten. Now, the lap record, I think it will be blasted

tomorrow. Here is this slow Mo. Just watch this. We have seen clearer

shots, I continue the back wheel is nowhere near. That is actually an in

lap. That is not a good lap to be looking at. We've seen much better

ones. He is getting a fan base, no doubt. Of course, he is in

ones. He is getting a fan base, no bikes. There's something seriously

wrong. I'm sure we will find out what it was but I'd imagine it was

something like an electronics glitch, something wasn't working. We

saw the same with Esparagaro, the front fork issues, it always goes

wrong at the crucial time. It is a metaphor for life, really. So, there

is dad, dad had his fingers crossed. Everything stayed on the

track. Just. Lorenzo was thinking. That is a forced smile. He looks so

strong. We went on a come and we said he looked so strong in the

practice. But he will hope he has got consistency tomorrow.

That is quite a big margin between first and second. It has been a

perfect afternoon. What an extraordinary time for Marc Marquez.

It just is amazing to watch his year and the way it is finishing. That

points to an absolutely monstrous speed. Marc, we could see pushing

and pushing. You push the pole position. The best start for the

biggest race of your life tomorrow. We knew it was important this

Saturday because especially because the starter is not my best point.

But it was important to start from the front row.

But it was important to start from moments there, but it was my mistake

because I went up from the corner a little bit, but tomorrow, we need to

do some things, but I am ready for the race.

Good luck. He is not fazed at all. So, let's confirm the front row.

Marquez, Lorenzo, Pedrosa. Then Rossi and Crutchlow, and Bradley

Smith up on the second row. Bautista, Stefan Bradl, and dread of

the year zero so. So, Marquez, times like that, he's

going to be unbeatable! Laverty, 21st, bearing in mind it is

So, what a shot that is. I'm wondering if Jorge Lorenzo did

somehow win the Championship tomorrow, I wonder if he will jump

into that pond? We did see that. It was a great test of whether the

airbags would work. Do they bring you to the top? The speeds are

terrifying around here. I think it is going to be an absolute belter of

a race tomorrow. Lots at stake. The speeds are out of this world. They

are. Jorge Lorenzo will need more than an airbag to keep him afloat.

The odds are stacked against him for the season finale. Will it be 99-1?

Join us on BBC Two from 1230 PM to find out whether this is motorcycle

racing at its best, and anything can happen. We will see you tomorrow.