Catalunya Q

1. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:41.840
2. Randy DE PUNIET (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:41.901
3. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), Michelin, 1:42.002
4. Casey STONER (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:42.117
5. John HOPKINS (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:42.233
6. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:42.283
7. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda), Michelin, 1:42.522
8. Toni ELIAS (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:42.607
9. Marco MELANDRI (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:42.623
10. Alex HOFMANN (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:42.860
11. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:42.967
12. Shinya NAKANO (Honda), Michelin, 1:43.334
13. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Yamaha), Dunlop, 1:43.557
14. Alex BARROS (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:43.722
15. Carlos CHECA (Honda), Michelin, 1:43.729
16. Makoto TAMADA (Yamaha), Dunlop, 1:43.947
17. Loris CAPIROSSI (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:43.948
18. Kenny Lee ROBERTS (KR-Honda), Michelin, 1:44.263
19. Kurtis ROBERTS (KR-Honda), Michelin, 1:45.223

So the most surprising thing is that intruder de Puniet in the middle of
the front row, otherwise it's the expected top two Rossi and Pedrosa
bookending him, then the fastest Bridgestone runners Stoner and Hopkins.
Somewhat surprisingly they are followed by the caddies, who seemed to
have pulled out of their Italian nosedive and are back where they were a
few races ago. Then another bunch of Bridgestones, but somewhat
surprisingly neither Barros nor Capirossi among them.

Looking closer, Rossi was consistently mid-43s on race tires, his best
in the session a 43.2, backed by a couple 43.3s. That's slightly slower
than what fast man Stoner managed in P3, but better than what Vale did
in that session. De Puniet appears to have done a 43.0 on his last lap
on an 8-lap stint at the start of QP, although that was easily his
quickest; he did another 43.0 in the morning, and a 43.2. Pedrosa was
able to get down to 43.3s at the end of two stints in the morning, and
was barely slower on race tires in the Q.

Stoner didn't do a lot of laps in the Q, but did three early on that
were 43.0. 43.1, 43.1 - real race pace or a too-soft tire? His 43.036 in
P3 is the quickest race tire lap of the weekend, and he did that early
in a 14-lap run. Hopkins popped a couple 43.1s in his first attempt in
the morning, but never quite got back down to that, his best in the Q a
43.38, but during an opening 13-lap run that ended in the 43.8-44.2
range - surely not his race tire? Edwards was high 43s in the Q, and
down to about the same pace late in P3. Hayden's best was slightly
better, a 43.59, but he was higher generally, his last stint mired in
the mid-high 44s. In the morning he was able to do only four 43s, the
best a 43.7.

Elias opened the Q with a 43.1 and a 43.2, but was slower after that,
and in P3 he got into the 43s a few times, pretty much the same as
Nicky. Melandri couldn't break 43 in the morning, then did a best of
44.027 in the Q. Vermeulen wqas able to get down to a 43.38 in the
morning and did a stint with mid-43s in the Q. Capirossi got down to
mid-high 43s in P3 but only did a couple 43.9s in the Q. Barros managed
to do some high 43s in QP.

So is de Puniet for real? Seems to me like he could mix it up for a
while, but then will either fade or crash. Otherwise, the serious
contenders are Rossi, Pedrosa, Stoner and Hopkins, and I'd have to pick
that as Rossi-Pedrosa-Stoner-Hopkins, which happens to be how they
qualified. Seems like we've seen Stoner quickest on race tires before
and not quite able to sustain that in the race. Behind them it's hard to
call, Edwards and Hayden not having the pace to hold the leaders, the
Gresini guys not looking terribly threatening, Vermeulen perhaps the guy
who could come out on top, or maybe Elias if he doesn't throw it away
trying to be a Spanish Hero.

I just hope we have a real fight at the front and not a rather
processional finish as at Mugello.