Pramac Racing's Hector Barbera was disappointed to miss out on qualifying on the second row of the grid for today's opening round of the
MotoGP World Championship in Qatar.
Barbera starts in eighth position on row three after missing out on a row two start by a tenth of a second.
The Ducati rider has set himself a challenge of finishing the race ahead of factory riders
Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, who start from fifth and 12th positions respectively.
“My assessment of these past three days is that they have been very positive. Thanks to the work of the team I've been able to improve while understanding the track conditions and how my Ducati reacts,” he said.
“These practice sessions have probably been the most satisfying of my
MotoGP career. It's a shame I missed out on the second row by only a tenth of a second, and that was my goal.
“But now I need to concentrate on tomorrow's race and I'm excited because I want to finish ahead of the official Ducati riders.”