Valentino Rossi Ducati – MotoGP 2012

Full qualifying times from the Qatar MotoGP, round 1 of the 2011 world championship.

1. Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda Team 1m 54.137s
2. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 54.342s
3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 54.947s
4. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 54.988s
5. Ben Spies USA Yamaha Factory Racing 1m 55.095s
6. Hector Barbera ESP Mapfre Aspar Team 1m 55.223s
7. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 55.229s
8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 55.578s
9. Valentino Rossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 55.637s
10. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 55.647s
11. Randy de Puniet FRA Pramac Racing Team 1m 55.656s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 55.724s
13. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 55.881s
14. Loris Capirossi ITA Pramac Racing Team 1m 56.323s
15. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 1m 56.665s
16. Toni Elias ESP LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 57.992s

Fastest practice lap:
Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda 1m 55.035s (FP3)

Fastest 2011 Qatar test lap (Monday):
Casey Stoner AUS Repsol Honda 1m 55.681s

2010 Qatar Grand Prix (11th April):
Pole position:
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro 1m 55.007s
Fastest race lap:
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati 1m 55.537s

Ducati is rumoured to be considering making an aggressive bid to secure the services of Valentino Rossi as early as next season, particularly if Casey Stoner proves to be Honda-bound.

According to Spanish publication Motocuatro.com, Ducati’s difficult start to the 2010 season, which has so far seen it fail to get on the podium, is prompting some radical movements from within the company in an attempt to get back on top.

Even so, Rossi, who is expected to be out of action for two months as he begins recovery from his broken leg, has previously stated his intentions to stay with Yamaha and he revealed as recently as yesterday [Thursday] that he does have a bike for next season.

“I know I have a bike for next year and I don’t need to rush my return to demonstrate anything.”

Rumours linking Rossi to Ducati are nothing new, with the Italian proving coy when commenting on the speculation towards the end of the 2009 season, stating at the time:

“I haven’t decided yet about my future, I will decide in the next year (2010). I have a contract signed already with Yamaha for 2010. For sure it is a great dream for everybody, to see Valentino with Ducati. We will see, I don’t know’.

Several months on and Ducati is reportedly stepping up its efforts to get the record-breaking rider onto its bike by waving a ‘blank cheque’ in a bid to poach him from Yamaha.

The move for Rossi could come as a response to Stoner’s heavily speculated switch to Honda in 2011, the Australian seemingly looking elsewhere as an attempt to rediscover the form that has waned in 2010 so far.