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avant-match
Qualification
Follow the Grand Prix Japan live. This MotoGP race starts at 05:55 on 2 October 2010. Find race results, calendar, standings, scores and all of this season’s MotoGP races.
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Highlights
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And Rossi has sneaked second in the last moments! Gutted for Stoner but the crowd love it! Should be a great race tomorrow.
That's it. Andrea Dovizioso has scored a brilliant pole ahead of Casey Stoner. Jorge Lorenzo will start from third with Valentino Rossi starting alongside him.
Seconds remaining...
Ben Spies makes it into the 1m 47s but he can't improve on seventh.
Just a couple of minutes to go...
What did I say? Dovizioso nearly breaks into the 1m 46s with a 1.47.001 which is just as well because Casey Stoner's Ducati has just banged in a 1.47.105 to put him in second. Lorenzo now sits third.
The first six riders are now inside 1m 47s so anyone of them could take pole at the very last moment, even Colin Edwards.
Ben Spies has pulled one out from somewhere and now sits in seventh place with a 1.48.1
Less than 10 minutes left...
Why do I bother? Dovizioso snatches back provisional pole by .003 - this is great to watch! Who's next?
With just over 15 minutes to go this is how we stand: Jorge Lorenzo is on provisional pole with a 1.47.2 ; Andrea Dovizoso is second fastest at 1.47.3. Then Rossi sits a further tenth back with De Puniet and Edwards rounding out the top five. The gap between all five of them is just half a second.
With 20 minutes left Lorenzo shows why he's the favourite to take the title this season and powers around the Motegi track in 1.47.2 to reclaim provisional pole.
Now things are starting to liven up. Dovizoso tops Jorge Lorenzo with a rapid 1.47.3
Halfway through qualifying and Colin Edwards has placed himself very handily in fifth place with a 1.48.3 - still a second slower than Lorenzo but hang on! Edwards posts a 1.47.9 to push Rossi down to fourth. Excellent work from the Texan.
Make that the top seven as Casey Stoner barges he way up the leaderboard with a healthy 1.48.2 - both Rossi and Dovizoso now join Lorenzo in the 1.47s.
It's as-you-were at the top of the timings chart. Lorenzo, from Rossi, Dovizoso, De Puniet and Capirossi with Alvaro Bautista making up the top six.
Of the 'big guns' that haven't really hit their straps yet we've got both Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies trading low 1.49s. Expect those to come down on the next 30 minutes or so.
45 minutes to go: De Puniet and Andrea Dovizioso also showing early during this set-up work.
Stoner bangs in a 1.48.8 which is pretty sharp this early. But Loris Capirossi also pips in a 1.48.8 before Rossi chalks up a 1.48.2 - but wait, what's this? Lorenzo shows us all how it should be done with a 1.47.9
Valentino Rossi is out for the first time today much to the delight of the watching crowds. Casey Stoner is our early frontrunner.
Right then, qualifying is underway at the Motegi circuit in Japan. Of course Dani Pedrosa isn't here due to his broken collarbone. A brave man would say it's now Jorge Lorenzo's championship to lose.
With final free practice over Jorge Lorenzo is a very happy chap as he sits at the top of the time sheet. His lap of 1'47.413 is 0.423s quicker than Andrea Dovizioso with Valaentine Rossi third fastest before qualifying later this morning.