Dani Pedrosa's achievement in setting pole position in only his fourth qualifying session on Bridgestone tyres capped a qualifying hour that was effectively reduced to a lunatic fifteen minutes by the weather. Times tumbled as the track dried and pole position changed hands more than 35 times. "I change four or five times the style, the speed in corners, was very very funny," said Valentino Rossi who thought he'd got pole but had to content himself with the front row. Dani reported that it had been "tough for me in previous qualifying sessions with Bridgestone," but reminded everyone that he had only had one pole with Michelin in the 12 races he ran on the French rubber this year.

The promised press release on details of the one-tyre rule should materialize shortly. The sticking point was a riders' meeting last night that unanimously voted against the proposal to supply 20 tyres per race. In an arrangement very close to Bridgestone's Formula 1 system, the idea is to manufacture seven grades of tyre and bring two of them to each GP. In F1 there is a main tyre and an "option" tyre that is always softer and differentiated by white coloring in the grooves. All of which leads to the pleasant though that Bridgestone could mould them in the seven colors of the rainbow from red to violet so we knew who was using what.

The riders' argument is with the number of tyres, they fear it will not be enough. Despite the proposal being rubber-stamped by the MSMA, the riders have succeeded in keeping the debate open. They may also be concerned with the offer to supply just one rain tyre--a medium compound. There is also the matter of the limited number of test tyres that will be supplied--100 will be free and extras will have to be paid for at the not unreasonable rate of $200 for a front and $400 for a rear. The number of extras may also be capped to 50. Valentino Rossi told me that the riders' only qualm about the regs is the number of tyres. He also said that in discussion with Bridgestone he had been assured that they could make their products broad enough spectrum so that only 20 tyres would be necessary. Furthermore, said Bridgestone, if the allocation was proved to be inadequate then they'd do something about it. This information was due to be conveyed to his fellow riders in a meeting that should have started while Vale was still talking to the press.

Jorge Lorenzo said he has no problem with the regulation, his only worry is who will do the development work. Full details may, or may not, be available tomorrow.

The third Kawasaki is off the menu for '09 but it looks as if the fifth Ducati is on. Onde 2000 today announced the retirement of their 125cc rider Pablo Nieto and simultaneously said that he will stay in the sport in a new capacity along side his brother Angel Junior. The Nietos will front Onde 2000's new MotoGP team in MotoGP with Sete Gibernau expected to be announced as the rider in Valencia next weekend.

To the relief of most of the paddock it is unlikely that Sepang will become a night race. The riders' Safety Commission is set against the idea.

What's going to happen in the race? That's anyone's guess, add in the likelihood of a tropical cloudburst any time and it really is a lottery.