MotoGP News
Date: 18/August/2012
Three leading MotoGP riders required hospital scans - and one has already been ruled out of Sunday’s race - following a crash strewn qualifying session at Indianapolis on Saturday.
First to be caught out by the low-grip infield circuit was reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner, who stopped the session after just eight minutes when he was thrown high into the air from his Repsol Honda
The Australian tried to get to his feet, but the pain proved too much and he was taken by stretcher to an ambulance and then the Medical Center. Initial scans ruled out any serious injury and identified a ligament strain to the right ankle.
Stoner was subsequently taken to the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for an MRI scan to assess the injury more precisely and it remains to be seen if he will be fit to ride in Sunday’s race. Stoner set the sixth best qualifying time.
Americans’ Ben Spies (Yamaha) and Nicky Hayden (Ducati) also suffered big accidents through the same Turn 13-Turn 14 left hand turns, later in the one hour session.
Spies suffered possible shoulder ligament damage, but hopes to take his fourth place on the grid. However Hayden has been ruled out of the race after being briefly knocked unconscious and fracturing bones in his hand during his session-stopping fall.
Hayden joins Hector Barbera on the sidelines. Barbera fractured three vertebrae in a Friday practice fall and has been replaced for the remainder of the weekend by Toni Elias.
In-between the stoppages, Stoner’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa took his third pole of the season by 0.1s from Yamaha’s title leader Jorge Lorenzo, with Tech 3 Yamaha’s Andrea Dovizioso in third.
Pedrosa said: “It was tough and tricky because it was very slippery. We saw many crashes in Moto3 and MotoGP. The bike was sliding a lot. It felt like you could control the slide, but suddenly it goes quick. So it wasn't easy to find the edge. Maybe that's why many riders crashed.
“So it was tough, but at the end good because we could get on pole. And this is always good here because the first turns are tight. I think the bike is working well and this time the top speed is now even to Yamaha, even one or two Ks more.”
Looking ahead to Sunday's grand prix, Pedrosa added: “We are confident for the race, but other riders look strong as well. Lorenzo picked up his pace, Spies is strong here and I hope Casey has nothing serious and can be on the grid. We will need to fight at the maximum tomorrow.”
Lorenzo who leads Pedrosa by 23-points in the championship, made the biggest gains in qualifying - leaping forwards from seventh in final free practice after some big changes.
Lorenzo said: “We made a big modification, big improvement. Before this weight modification, I really didn't feel great coming into the corners. So I was struggling. Now I can feel better.
“Also, it has been a difficult qualifying because so many riders crash, and it wasn’t nice to see companions crashing so violently. But anyway, after seeing their crashes, I’ve been more relaxed with my eyes looking all the trash on the track. So it was important to be fast but also to be careful not to crash.
“I think the important thing tomorrow is to finish. If it's possible on the podium, and who knows, maybe to try to fight for the victory.”
Stoner is already 32-points behind Lorenzo in the championship and, should he be declared unfit to ride, his dream of retiring at the end of this year as a triple world champion could be all but over.
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