Florian Alt starts the final Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race of the season from Pole Position.
The 15 year old German was in great form during practice for Saturday's race at Misano while Cup arch rivals Lorenzo Baldassarri and and Arthur Sissis sit back on the 3rd row after qualifying 8th and 7th respectively for the San Marino Grand Prix event.
Alt also sat on pole at the previous round in the Czech Republic but was disappointed with his 11th and 8th place finishes there. "This time I want to win," he said with a grin. "A podium is the absolute minimum. We changed some things on the bike after free practice, improved the front suspension a bit by making it harder and then the bike was good. I think I can run that sort of pace in the race, over the last 3 or 4 laps I was on my own and I ran pretty good times so the race should be OK."
Alongside him on the grid is 16 year old Frenchman Alan Techer, winner of 2 of the last 3 races but he might count himself a little fortunate to be there after crashing on the last lap and being taken to the medical centre for a check up.
Techer knows he has 3rd in the Cup secure no matter what happens in the race. That fall didn't help Cup hopeful Sissis. "I was following him when he crashed," said the 16 year old Australian who trails Baldassarri by 6 points going into the final race. "It's a tough track, a lot of hard braking. I wasn't doing that well but I got a bit quicker following Alan towards the end. It's interesting that Baldi and I are beside each other on the grid, real interesting. I want to win, it's the last Rookies race of the year, but it isn't going to be easy."
Baldassarri, the 15 year old Italian, also found qualifying tough. "I could have done better, the bike was OK it was just me and not finding the right space on the track. I wanted someone good to ride with and in the last few laps I got with Philipp (Oettl) but that didn't really work out either. I think the race should be better, I will just try to get a good result but if I am in difficulty I will be looking to see where Arthur is."
Completing the front row of the grid, 14 year old Briton Kyle Ryde had by far his best qualifying of the season. "I've at last got the bike working for me, the forks are stiffer and with more rebound so the bike turns in faster and I am really enjoying it, can't wait for the race tomorrow."
Heading the 2nd row of the grid, 18 year old Czech Tomas Vavrous was a little frustrated. "It was OK but I was losing a lot of time in the second half of the lap, about a second and I don't know where. I hope I can find it in the race, I will try to go with the other guys."
Philipp Oettl, the 15 year old German, was even more frustrated with 5th. "I didn't make good use of the new tyre, I should have done better. Towards the end I was with Baldassarri but we were just getting in each other's way a bit so that didn't help. The race is a different thing, I know what I have got to do."
It will all be decided in a single race on Saturday afternoon starting at 16.30 CET. It is broadcast on TV networks around the world and webcast on www.redbull.tv with the show beginning 10 minutes before race start.
Qualifying Classification
1. Florian Alt (GER) 1 minute 47.247 seconds
2. Alan Techer (FRA) +0.312
3. Kyle Ryde (GBR) +0.510
4. Tomas Vavrous (CZE) +0.561
5. Philipp Oettl (GER) +0.580
6. Ivo Lopes (POR) +0.744
7. Arthur Sissis (AUS) +0.894
8. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) +0.943
9. Max Enderlein (GER) +1.110
10. James Flitcroft (GBR) +1.198
