LISBON, 17 April 2005 — Brazilian Alex Barros claimed pole position for the Portuguese Grand Prix, the second race of the season, setting a new fastest lap on Saturday for the seaside course at Estoril.
The Honda rider clocked 1:37.202 three laps from the end of the hour-long qualifying session, which decides the starting grid for today’s race under a new format adopted this season.
Spaniard Sete Gibernau, recovered from a shoulder injury suffered on the final lap of last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, trailed Barros by 0.127 seconds. Yamaha’s Carlos Checa, who looked sluggish for most of the session, produced a blistering final lap of 1:37.456 to claim the last spot on the front row of the grid.
Yamaha’s world champion Valentino Rossi, who won last weekend’s race in Jerez after clashing with Gibernau on the final corner, clocked the fourth fastest time of 1:37.643.
