For some riders it’s the jubilation of victory they miss most after retiring from MotoGP, but for Casey Stoner the ultimate enjoyment and satisfaction came from the purity of being let-loose for an all-out time attack in qualifying. The double MotoGP champion took 39 premier-class pole positions (from 117 starts) during his career, with a near-perfect front row sweep of the 18 rounds during his 2011 title season at Repsol Honda. The only event where Stoner missed the front row that year was at Estoril, where he qualified in fourth (+0.060s from team-mate Dani Pedrosa). A perfectionist on track, the Australian explained he always felt pressure 'not to mess up' and let his team down...
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