FIM MotoGP World Championship

Mugello Circuit, Italy

May 30, 2015

Qualifying Session One Results (top two advance to Qualifying Session Two, all on Bridgestone tires):

1. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), 1:47.117

2. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:47.222

3. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:47.240

4. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:47.497

5. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:47.978

6. Stefan BRADL, Germany (FORWARD YAMAHA), 1:48.047

7. Scott REDDING, UK (HONDA), 1:48.120

8. Loris BAZ, France (FORWARD YAMAHA), 1:48.133

9. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (HONDA), 1:48.298

10. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (HONDA), 1:48.366

11. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), 1:48.477

12. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (DUCATI), 1:48.503

13. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:48.572

14. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (HONDA), 1:48.638

15. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (ART-APRILIA), 1:49.198

16. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (APRILIA), 1:51.391

Qualifying Session Two Results:

1. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), 1:46.489

2. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:46.584

3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:46.610

4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:46.657

5. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:46.854

6. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:46.870

7. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:46.875

8. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:46.923

9. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:46.934

10. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:47.050

11. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), 1:47.090

12. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), 1:47.423

More, from a press releae issued by Ducati Corse:

Andrea Iannone sets new circuit record on his way to taking a fantastic pole position in the TIM Italian GP at Mugello. Front row slot for Andrea Dovizioso in third place, while Michele Pirro will start from row 2

All three Ducati Team riders were on scintillating form today in qualifying for the TIM Italian GP at Mugello. Despite an injury to his left shoulder, Andrea Iannone pulled out a superb lap in Q2, setting a new circuit record and grabbing pole position for the sixth round of the championship, as well as his first pole in MotoGP. Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso also had a great qualifying run to clock third quickest time and he will start the race from the front row of the grid, alongside Iannone and Jorge Lorenzo.

Test-rider for the Ducati Test Team Michele Pirro, making his season debut as a wild-card with a third Desmosedici GP15, was also quick on the day and he obtained sixth quickest time, his best-ever MotoGP qualifying result.

In the morning’s FP3 session, Iannone had already proved he could set some excellent lap times when he finished second quickest behind Lorenzo. Before beginning FP4, the rider from Vasto underwent some pain-killing treatment to his left shoulder with Clinica Medica doctors, which enabled him to take to the track in the best possible way. Dovizioso also did a good free practice session in the morning when he finished third, followed by Michele Pirro in fourth. As a result all the Ducati Team riders gained direct access into the afternoon’s Q2 session.

The last time a Ducati was on pole position at Mugello was in 2007 with Casey Stoner.

Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 1’46.489 (1st)

“I am very pleased with how things went today! For sure in my condition this result was in no way expected, but in the end me and my team did a great job and we managed to improve. For me this pole position is really important because yesterday was a difficult day, one in which I was unable to understand if the bike was improving or not. Today on the other hand we improved a lot and now I am extremely satisfied. My team was perfect and the GP15 went really well, I set the new circuit record and the new top speed record. The only problem I have at the moment is my shoulder condition, because it needs more time to get back to 100%: tomorrow will be a tough race but I will not give in.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’46.610 (3rd)

“It was a great qualifying session for our team, because there are two Ducati GP15 bikes on the front row. I am very pleased with my time because doing a 1m46.6s lap in qualifying over a one-lap run at Mugello is always difficult. I had a good feeling with the bike when I did my lap, and this is very important in view of the race because it means that we have the speed to be able to fight for the leading positions. Only in the race however will we manage to see if we have worked well enough to have a constant pace for 23 laps. I want to thank all of my team because we have worked really well, improving the bike step by step throughout the weekend.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 1’46.870 (6th)

“I am really happy because the Ducati GP15 took pole position, together with a third and a sixth place. I was sixth quickest, but I did a very quick lap and this thanks to all the guys in the team who gave me a fantastic bike. I have a great feeling with the GP15 and I really wanted to reward them with a good performance, because they deserve it. My sincere thanks go to everyone in Ducati, Claudio Domenicali, Gigi Dall’Igna, Paolo Ciabatti and Davide Tardozzi because they have always spurred me on and this time I succeeded in bringing out the best of me. Tomorrow I hope I can do a good race: I’m starting on row 2 and I will try and learn as much as possible from the riders ahead of me, as well as doing my best for Ducati and for all of our fans.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Difficult qualifying for Repsol Honda leaves Pedrosa 7th and Marquez 13th

After a positive final practice session where Dani Pedrosa finished 2nd and Marc Marquez 5th, the Repsol Honda riders were not able to carry this momentum into qualifying for tomorrow’s Italian GP.

Dani, who made a big step from yesterday, pre-qualified for Q2 and was the first out on track – taking provisional pole. He was consistently fast and improved on his second run, but with such a small gap separating the riders he was unable to place higher than 7th with his time of 1’46.875, just 0.3 seconds off pole position.

Marc had a small crash in turn one during FP4 having already missed out on pre-qualifying for Q2 by 0.022 seconds. Therefore he had to take part in Q1 where he suffered heavily with rear grip and his time of 1’47.240 did not promote him to Q2, leaving him on the 5th row in 13th for tomorrow’s 23 lap race.

Dani Pedrosa

7TH 1’46.875

“Today went a little better. We were able to improve our pace, go faster and place a little higher up in the standings. We have taken a step forward with our lap time. However, the timesheet was very tight and we didn’t get a very good position on the grid so tomorrow we will need to get a good start.”

Marc Marquez

13TH 1’47.240

“We can’t be happy about today, because this was the worst qualifying result that we have had in MotoGP. Starting in the morning, we didn’t use the new tyre and that took us into Q1 -in which we had a problem that prevented us from progressing to Q2. Nevertheless, I think we have a good pace for tomorrow, although it is clear that starting from so far back we will suffer a lot. We will try to make a good start and opening few laps to get into the leading group.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

Lorenzo Sprints to Second in Mugello Qualifying

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo set a scorching pace at Mugello to score second position on the grid for tomorrow‘s Gran Premio d’Italia. Teammate Valentino Rossi also put in a solid performance in the close qualifying session, securing eighth.

Barberino del Mugello (Italy), 30th May 2015

After showing a stunning pace in Free Practice 3, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo continued his momentum at the Autodromo del Mugello when he secured second position on the grid for tomorrow‘s Gran Premio d’Italia. Teammate Valentino Rossi qualified eighth on the grid as the hot action in the close Q2 session left all twelve riders within a second.

Lorenzo was the last rider to make his way out on the circuit for the start of the 15-minute qualifying heat, ensuring him some clear track space. He immediately put the hammer down on his first flying lap of 1‘46.808 to take provisional pole, before returning to the pits for fresh rubber.

With six minutes to go he was back on the track as an intense battle got underway for the front row. The four-time World Champion pushed hard to shave a little off his time on his second hot lap, but was pushed back to third due to a flurry of activity at the final stages of the session. However the Spaniard saved the best for last, dropping a 1’46.584 on his final lap to claim second on the grid, 0.095 from pole.

Similar to his teammate, local hero Rossi took his time to leave the pit lane as qualifying got underway, allowing the pack to depart before heading out. Riding with a special helmet that symbolizes how his home fans‘ support urges him on, he put in an 1‘47.187 on his second flying lap to slot into fifth place.

The Doctor quickly returned to the pits with less than seven minutes on the clock for a new rear tyre. Back on the track, his third flying lap resulted in a better time of 1‘46.976 to hold provisional sixth on the second row. He was pushed to ninth as the pace quickened, but the nine-time world champion fought back with a 1’46.923 lap, moving him into eighth place, 0.434s off today‘s fastest time.

JORGE LORENZO

We must be proud of our performance, because we improved the bike, which has been our goal for today. We had to improve our pace by half a second and maybe we didn‘t do that but we did shave off three-tenths. Today has been a great day. We couldn‘t get the pole position, but second place is great. The setting of our bike is quite good. We may be losing a little bit in speed on the straight, but on the rest of the track we are ok.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Just like previous races this season, here in Mugello the level, the speed and the lap times are a lot faster than last year. Marquez rode the lap time of the pole position last time and he‘s just in thirteenth place, so it‘s a big step forward. I improved a lot and my lap time was not so bad, but it wasn‘t enough. It looks like the extra soft tyre worked very well, so our competitors who could use this option where very strong. All the top riders were able to improve their pace a lot, so apart from my starting position on the third row, which is not fantastic, I‘m quite happy about today. We worked well on the bike and I improved my feeling and my pace. It will be a hard race, but we will see tomorrow.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

It was a positive second day, especially for Jorge who has been very fast and consistent under all circumstances. It‘s a pity Iannone followed him, else he could have made the pole. To start the race from the first row is really important. Valentino is still looking to make a small step, after that he will be ready for the race too. He has to put in a lot of effort, because starting the race from the third row is not easy, but we know his capabilities. We are quite confident for the race for both riders and are optimistic for tomorrow‘s race. We expect some hot racing action and there will be lots of spectators cheering us on, so we are looking forward to putting on a good show at our home Grand Prix.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Iannone delights Italian fans as Marquez provides the drama

Andrea Iannone claimed Ducati’s first pole at Mugello since 2007, while Marc Marquez experienced his worst ever MotoGP™ Qualifying.

It was a day of contrasts at the Gran Premio D’Italia as Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone sent the Italian fans at the Autodromo del Mugello into rapture as he claimed his first career MotoGP™ pole position in near perfect conditions, setting the fastest ever top speed recorded by a MotoGP™ bike in the process (350.8kph).

Iannone, riding with a fractured humerus sustained during a testing crash at the Tuscany Circuit, took advantage of the softer option tyre available to Ducati to set a 1’46.489, which was almost seven-tenths quicker than Dani Pedrosa’s pole record from 2013.

Countering that was the dramatic action involving the reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez, as he failed to make it through to Q2 for the first time in his career and will start Sunday’s race from the head of the fifth row in thirteenth.

Marquez struggled throughout the day, getting caught out in FP3 and finishing down in eleventh on the combined timesheets. It was only the second time the Spaniard has failed to automatically qualify for Q2, the first being at Mugello in 2013.

A crash in FP4 only compounded matters and as Marquez attempted to make it through from Q1 he set a time good enough for second on the timesheets with 2 minutes to go in the session. Thinking that the job was complete, it was then that disaster struck for him and his team. Yonny Hernandez on the Octo Pramac Racing Ducati displaced him in the final seconds, securing the Columbians progress through to Q2 at Marquez’ expense. This means that Marquez will have to start Sunday’s race from the front of the fourth row in 13th his worst ever MotoGP™ Qualifying performance.

Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo will be a force to be reckoned come Sunday’s race, as he demonstrated in incredibly persistent race pace throughout Free Practice. The double MotoGP™ World Champion was only 0.095s behind Dovizioso in Q2 and will start from second on the grid, a feat made all the more impressive as Lorenzo does not have the softer option tyre available to him.

Andrea Dovizioso followed up Iannone’s incredible pole lap by securing third on the grid, making it two Ducati GP15’s on the front row, and the team will be pushing hard for their first win since Stoner’s victory in Australia in 2010.

CWM LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow won the battle of the Satellite riders, as he once again impressed during Q2 to finish fourth fastest as the fastest Honda on the grid.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Aleix Espargaro was another rider who had to grit his teeth as he was suffering from the injury to his right thumb sustained during his Free Practice crash at Le Mans. The Spaniard sought medical advice before the day’s action, and it clearly paid off, as he will start the race from the middle of the front row.

To top off an almost perfect day for Ducati, their test rider Michele Pirro managed to set a time good enough for sixth in Q2, and will complete the second row for Sunday’s race, the best qualifying performance from a wild card rider since Ben Spies in 2008 at Indianapolis.

Dani Pedrosa on the second Factory Repsol Honda RC213V showed he is recovering from his arm pump surgery by setting the seventh fastest time. The Spaniard will start from the head of the third row, ahead of nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi.

Rossi once again could not perform as he wanted during qualifying, although he wont be too disappointed to start the race from eighth on the grid, as his last two victories have both been achieved when he started from that position.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Maverick Viñales will start the race from ninth on the grid, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro & Bradley Smith in tenth and eleventh respectively.

Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera was the leading Open class rider in fifteenth, with the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda of Scott Redding down in 17th.

Check out the full MotoGP™ Qualifying results, the 23-lap race starts at 14:00 local time in Mugello on Sunday.

More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:

Iannone’s incredible lap secures pole position for Ducati at the Italian Grand Prix

Round 6: Italian MotoGP™ – Qualifying

Saturday, 30 May 2015

Mugello, Italy

Bridgestone slick compounds: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium (Asymmetric) & Hard (Symmetric)

Bridgestone wet tyre compounds: Hard (Main) & Soft (Alternative)

Weather: FP3 – Dry. Ambient 17-19°C; Track 33-39°C (Bridgestone measurement)

FP4/QP – Dry. Ambient 23-23°C; Track 40-41°C (Bridgestone measurement)

On his penultimate lap in Qualifying Practice 2, Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone set a new Mugello Circuit Best Lap record of 1’46.489 to secure his first ever MotoGP™ pole position, and a first for Ducati at their home race since 2007.

Iannone’s lap smashed the existing outright lap record at Mugello by almost seven-tenths of a second and saw him narrowly clinch the top spot from Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo, who set a personal best time of 1’46.584. Qualifying in third position was Iannone’s Ducati Team stablemate Andrea Dovizioso who managed to clock a 1’46.610 to give the Italian marque double reason to celebrate today. Both Iannone and Dovizioso set their best times using the combination of the soft compound rear slick and medium compound front slick, while Lorenzo used medium compound slicks front and rear on his way to second place in qualifying.

It just wasn’t the riders on the front row that set an incredible pace in qualifying today, the top eleven riders in QP2 set times quicker than the existing lap record time of 1’47.157 set by Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa in 2013.

All of today’s sessions experienced fine and sunny conditions, although ambient and track temperatures were cooler than yesterday. The peak track temperature recorded today was 41°C during qualifying, seven degrees less than yesterday’s highest reading. With similar weather and track conditions to yesterday, the riders used the Free Practice sessions to assess different tyre combinations, with the major focus being evaluating which front slick compound to use for the race. The medium compound front slick has emerged as the favourite option for most riders given the many high-speed sections at Mugello. However, the extra braking stability of the hard compound front slick means it will also be utilised in tomorrow’s race by some riders.

Track temperatures this weekend haven’t been as high as experienced at Mugello in recent years and as a result, the hard compound rear slick – although providing excellent consistency and drive grip – will probably not figure in tomorrow’s race unless a pronounced increase in track temperatures tomorrow. The soft compound rear slick will be used by some Open class riders, however the medium compound rear slick will be the most widely used option for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix.

Ambient temperatures are forecast to increase slightly tomorrow, when the next MotoGP session is the twenty-minute Warm Up session at 0940 local time (GMT +2). The twenty-three lap Italian Grand Prix starts at 1400.

Masao Azuma – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department

“What a fantastic day we witnessed at Mugello today. In all of today’s sessions the pace was very quick and also very close between the riders – at times in FP3 the top ten riders were split by less than two-tenths of a second. Tyre performance over a single lap and during race simulations was quick and consistent, with almost every rider in QP2 setting times quicker than the old Mugello Circuit Best Lap record, and some riders were able to consistently lap under race record pace in their race simulations. Another good point for us is that the riders have been very positive about our tyre allocation this weekend, at a circuit which demands maximum confidence from the tyres. It now seems that the medium compound front and rear slicks are the favourite options amongst the riders, but the soft rear slick and hard front slick will also be used during tomorrow’s race. Unless track temperatures increase significantly tomorrow, I don’t expect the hard rear slick to be used by any riders for the race.”

More, from a press release issued by Cardion AB Motoracing:

AB Motoracing in seventh row in Mugello

Even though Karel Abraham has suffered heavy crash in morning practice, he will start from twentieth position to the Grand Prix of Italy in Mugello.

Karel Abraham: “In the morning I crashed almost in 200kph and it was quite painful. Then I had problem to be back in my pace. Fortunately, we had fourth practice to recover. I must express my thanks to the team, as they were able to get the bike ready again. We had the target to reach 1:48 low during the qualifying. I thought I could ride behind someone faster and get good pace but there was no opportunity for it. Therefore, I rode only on my own. However, in the end we reached 1:48.366 so the goal was achieved even under harder circumstances than I expected. Twentieth position is not great but the gap is not substantial.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

MOTOGP QUALIFIERS AT MUGELLO

SEVENTH AND NINTH ROW FOR BAUTISTA AND MELANDRI

Mugello Circuit (Italy), 30 May 2015 – On a weekend characterised by the many changes that the Aprilia racing division provided for the RS-GP bikes, and then by the hard work done in the garage, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini finished the qualifiers taking spots respectively on the seventh row with Alvaro Bautista (21st best time at 1’48,477) and the ninth row with Marco Melandri (26th best time at 1’51,391). In fact, aerodynamic and ergonomic changes as well as – above all – the arrival of the seamless gearbox for both riders marked the Italian GP weekend. During the free practice sessions prior to the qualifiers Bautista improved his performance compared to Friday, a trend which was then confirmed in the session that decides the starting grid order. Marco, on the other hand, lagged a bit farther back, distracted as he tried to get comfortable with the bike setups.

ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)

“Compared to yesterday we made good progress with Alvaro’s times, referring to FP3 and then the fact that we improved even more in qualifying. From this point of view we are rather satisfied. As for the race we need to do a lot of fine tuning because there is a thick pack of riders who are right there, all within a few tenths of one another. This is a situation that, if we work well, could place us in a position to be able to battle for points.”

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)

“Today we saw some stratospheric times achieved in these qualifiers which proves that MotoGP is a more and more competitive and difficult championship. We came here with a lot of new changes and it is clear that in these cases we would need even more time to be able to test them better. In qualifying Alvaro gave 100% as always, doing a great job. Unfortunately Marco still hasn’t been able to find the feeling he needs with the bike.”

ALVARO BAUTISTA

“The changes we tested this morning helped us to increase our pace. In the qualifiers I had some problems with the first set of tyres and I took my good lap with the second set. For the race I think we’ll go back to what we tried in FP3 because the changes we made in FP4 didn’t work out the way we had hoped. We brought a lot of changes with us here: the seamless gearbox helps me because it makes the bike less twitchy and the new position is also more comfortable for me which is very important for the race.”

MARCO MELANDRI

“I’m working hard as always, but unfortunately I just can’t seem to find that feeling with the bike that I need so this is the best I can do. I hope some changes to the chassis arrive that will be able to meet my needs.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia:

Disappointing Mugello qualifying for Redding

Mugello, Italy – 30 May 2015: Scott Redding will line up 17th on the grid for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider failed to make it through to QP2 automatically and with fast times in QP1 he was unable to challenge for a top two spot and earn a place in the final qualifying shootout.

The 22-year-old had made progress with improving his feeling on the bike on Friday but with the Factory class riders not being able to avail themselves of the extra soft tyre, Redding was unable to match the pace of the leaders in the first qualifying session. The challenge facing riders in QP1 should not be underestimated but to see Redding qualifying 17th fastest was a disappointment for the team.

Traffic was also an issue for Redding during the session. With 16 riders sharing the 5.2km Mugello circuit all were looking to lap with each other to take advantage of a crucial slipstream, making finding space on the track a real challenge.

Tomorrow’s 23-lap race will offer Redding an opportunity to make further progress, as his race simulations were better than his single lap pace in qualifying.

Scott Redding: 17th – 1’48.120

“I don’t know what to say because I went faster with the old tyre than I did on the new tyre and I don’t know why. There was quite a lot of traffic with everyone waiting and that’s really frustrating. Because we don’t have the soft tyre we have to push for the whole lap. The tyre didn’t work as well as I was expecting but even on my last lap, when I was on for a personal best in the first two sectors, Hernandez pulled off the track at the last corner when I was outside him and I nearly hit the back of him. It’s frustrating to be where we are because I was faster on old tyres earlier. You feel like you make steps forward and then you get pushed back again. The race will be different because it’s longer and our race pace isn’t bad but our one lap pace is still a weakness for us at the moment.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“We had a good day on Friday and this afternoon we were expecting to make an improvement but we didn’t make any at all. It’s a disappointing position to be starting from with the package that we have. I’m not sure of what benefit the softer tyre gives here but, anyway, we should still be third or fourth in this session because 17th is quite far down the grid. We know that other people have the soft tyre advantage in QP1, so we have to accept that this is like it is but, in the end, we should be directly behind them.”

More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:

Barbera the best Open Class rider in the Italian GP qualifying

30/05/15 Avintia Racing MotoGP – Grand Prix of Italy – QP

Avintia Racing team rider Hector Barbera was the fastest Open Class rider in the qualifying practice for the Italian Grand Prix today in Mugello. Hector has been working together with his team in his Ducati Desmosedici GP14.1 Open electronics during the weekend and now the bike is ready for tomorrow’s 23 laps race. Today the Q1 was hard, with more factory bikes than usual, included the one of the reigning World Champion Marc Marquez who failed to make it through to Q2 and will share the fifth row of the grid with Héctor Barberá and Danillo Petrucci.

His teammate in the Avintia Racing team Mike Di Meglio will start the race from the eight row, but the French rider has made a step forward this weekend improving his feeling with the front and tomorrow he hopes to fight to get some points in the most important race of the season for Ducati.

HECTOR BARBERA #8 / 15th (P1 Open) 1’47.978 @HectorBarbera

I’m happy. We finally fixed many of the problems we had yesterday. We made a good job during the weekend and we have a good set up for the race. The electronics were the main issue in the last few races and now it seems is completely solved, so we are ready to race tomorrow. We are again the best Open Class bike on the grid and this is a boost of confidence. We have to do a good race here in Italy because Mugello is Ducati’s home. I have a good reference on the grid with Marquez and Petrucci in the same row, so hopefully will be a good race.

MIKE DI MEGLIO #63 / 22nd (P6 Open) 1’48.503 @Mikejpp63

The position is not the best but my lap time is not so bad and we have worked really well during the weekend, but the position is not good and this is difficult to digest. We have solved many of the feeling problems we had with the front, now I ride the bike smoother and with less risk of crashing. I think we are okay for the race; we improved every time we went out and the bike is much better now. I’m really looking forward to race tomorrow and see how it goes. We will push to get a good result.

More, from a press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW JUST MISSES OUT ON FRONT ROW IN ITALY

For the third time this year, Cal Crutchlow will start from just off the front row of the MotoGP grid after he qualified in fourth place for Sunday’s Grand Prix of Italy. The British rider will be the top Honda rider on the grid for the race, and will be rueing a tiny error on his fast lap, after he missed third by just under five-hundredths of a second.

The CWM LCR Honda Team count the Mugello race as one of two home grands prix this season, and lots of locals will be hopeful that a good start can see the Briton challenge for the podium positions yet again. A full house is expected at the Tuscan circuit, and with the championship leader and reigning champion behind Crutchlow on the grid, he is in a prime spot for the Italian crowd to push him towards the rostrum.

Cal Crutchlow #35, 4th – 1’46.657

“The feeling with the bike was good today, we did a lot of laps on old used tyres and I was happy with the pace. It’s a strange situation here because it looks like the soft tyre is benefitting some riders quite a lot when it’s new, so lap times are a bit crazy, as are the positions of some riders.”

“Overall I was happy, because I tried a hard front tyre and I was happy with that, so much so I even qualified with it. I just missed out on the front row again, but I made a small mistake which was my own fault. Actually, I expected the lap time to be even slower considering the mistake I made, so that’s positive.”

“We just need to get away with the front guys tomorrow, and then we can look forward to a good race because the CWM LCR Honda Team have had a good weekend, and we’re working well with our package.”

More, from another press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:

NINTH ROW START FOR MILLER IN MUGELLO

Jack Miller will start Sunday’s Grand Prix of Italy from the ninth row of the grid after a tough day at the office for the Australian rider. The Mugello circuit is the CWM LCR Honda Team’s home racetrack, and hopes were that the class rookie could push himself higher up the grid, but after a crash in the morning practice session he was unable to regain confidence in the front feel of his bike.

Nonetheless, Miller has shown on several occasions already this year that he is able to pick up positions come race-day, so he will be keen to show more of the same in the 23 lap Italian event.

Jack Miller #43 – 23rd, 1’48.572

“I’m not happy at all with today’s qualifying result. In the morning free practice session I wasn’t feeling very comfortable, and although the lap time wasn’t too bad, but pushing on the lap after I did my best time I crashed. After that I never really recovered my confidence back in the front tyre, and despite matching my best time during qualifying, 23rd is really not where we want to be.”

“Tomorrow is the race though, and we will try some things in warm-up to work it out and make it a bit better for the race itself. I really need some more confidence in the front, so we will see what happens.”

More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:

Spectacular Q1 for Yonny. Petrux very close to Top 10 after a crash in FP3

In the spectacular qualifications of the italian Grand Prix, in which Andrea Iannone did all possible records of the Mugello Circuit (1’46.489) bringing with himself a little bit of Pramac in the pole position, Octo Pramac Racing Team was also a leader of a spectacular Q1. In the last round, Yonny Hernandez was able to win the competition against the World Champion Marc Marquez, which bring him to reach a spot in the Q2 with a briliant attack(1’47.117) . A straordinary time that the Colombian rider could not repeat in the Q2 , registering a 1’47.423 that brings him to the 12th position.

Positive news for Danilo Petrucci. Allthough a bad fall in the FP3, the rider of Terni managed to close the morning just one tenth of a second away from the Top 10. In Q1 Petrux was able to improve by 2 tenths of a second but his best chrono of 1’47.639 was not enough to get in Q2. Danilo Petrucci will start from the 14th position.

Spectacular Q1 for Yonny. Petrux very close to Top 10 after a crash in FP3

12° – Yonny Hernandez – Octo Pramac Racing #68

We did a very good job. I run very strong , stronger than the pole position of last year. I am not very happy of the Q2 where I was not able to improve my result. Over all the week was very positive. And more over this year my colleagues are running all very fast. Tomorrow is a big day and I sincerely hope to fight for the top 10 which is our main objective. Going back to the box was wonderful, in the pit lane many were saying me “grande Yonny!”. Then the hug in the garage: a very nice emotion. I am very glad to be able to give this moment of happiness to the team which its doing a great job.

14° – Danilo Petrucci – Octo Pramac Racing #9

It has been a tough day. We started well, although the pace race was good. In the lap with the hard tyre i crashed bad and when you make a high side like that is always difficult to pick up the rythm. I put the soft tire but I missed out on Q2 by less than a tenth of a second. Then when you find in Q1 Marquez you know that will be difficult. I did the same laptime registered by Iannone last year and this is a great satisfaction. The point is that the qualification was eight tenths faster than that of 2014. But we are not far on the race pace. That’s why I’m positve. It wasn’t a perfect day and to stay to the levels we saw today we have to be perfect. Tomorrow I will have a good race even though I know it will be very difficult.

More, from a press release issued by Athina Forward Racing:

Bradl a breath away from pole at Mugello

Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz ended up Mugello qualifying respectively in 16th and 18th position. The Tuscan circuit will host the Italian Grand Prix tomorrow.

Good performance of the German rider who stopped the clock on the time of 1.48.047 just 69 cents from Barbera, leader of the Open. Bradl will start tomorrow from the sixth row. He has improved by over six tenths his time compared to yesterday and is confident he can fight for victory in his class.

Loris Baz, his teammate, is also satisfied. He was the best Open this morning in FP3 and he qualified in 18th position with a time of 1.48.133. The Frenchman has found a good feeling riding the Yamaha Forward and he is aiming at the points-zone for tomorrow.

Stefan Bradl

“I am satisfied with the work done so far. I have improved a lot compared to yesterday and we were able to be consistent and quick in qualifying. We lost pole by inches but I’m sure we will be able to fight for the top Open in the race. I’m happy, we changed a lot of settings of the bike and the feeling has really improved. I cannot wait to get on track tomorrow, it will be a good fight with the Ducatis here at Mugello”.

Loris Baz

“A good weekend is unfolding for us at Mugello. The track is really nice and we were able to find a good set up to be competitive tomorrow. We made a good step forward with the electronics and, as of today, I found more grip at the rear. I can do better cornering and we have been consistent in qualifying. Tomorrow it will be a long race, I will have to fight with the Ducatis that have proven to be very quick on the long straight”.

More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:

Hayden and Laverty look for big comebacks on raceday

POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar riders will look to Le Mans for inspiration, after placing 19th and 24th in qualifying for Italian GP

The MotoGP race at Mugello holds plenty of promise, due to the atmosphere and the developments in qualifying today. The grid for the Italian showdown was decided on Saturday afternoon, with a surprise as reigning World Champion Marc Marquez failed to progress from Q1. Andrea Iannone took his first pole in MotoGP, 0.095s ahead of the pacey Jorge Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi starts from eighth and Marquez thirteenth. The race takes place at 2pm local time, and is one of the showcase occasions on the 2015 calendar.

Nicky Hayden was today able to solve electronic problems that befell him on the opening day. The POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider improved his times as well, putting in his best laps in qualifying. However, despite setting quite a strong pace, he lacked a quick lap in qualifying to move him higher up the grid. The American will take off from nineteenth, but could still believes he is capable of great result tomorrow –as he did at Le Mans.

Eugene Laverty will start from twenty-fourth position, and the Northern Irishman also managed to improve his times from yesterday. Unfortunately, he still requires a big comeback if he is to claim points at the Italian GP.

19th Nicky Hayden 1:48.298: “Fortunately today things went much better for us than yesterday afternoon. In the final practice session we were constantly in the 1.49s, but didn’t get down to 1.48. In qualifying we managed that, but it would have been desirable to have had more pace before that. I thought that with my last tyre I could have got a better time; I was confident, but when I went out there I noticed a different level of grip. At the start of my flying lap I had a big slide on the first corner, which cost me some time and a chance to get closer to the frontrunners. The bike is working properly, but something is missing and I also need to do a bit more in order to go faster. We know how high the level is in this class -as an example, today Marquez was unable to get past Q1. The race will be long and hard. Despite not having achieved a better time today, I am convinced that we can perform at a high level on raceday. We have a couple of ideas in order to become faster. The important thing is that the team have done a great job and the bike works better. Tomorrow we will have to fight hard to get a good result.”

24th Eugene Laverty 1:48.638: “After a difficult weekend, today we progressed considerably with our times. We got into the mid-1.48s means, but of course twenty-fourth position is not where we want to be. In the qualifying session, after changing the front tyres, we managed to get a slipstream from another rider; with the second tyre that was not possible and I had to ride alone. I couldn’t continue to bring down the times, and we know how important the slipstream is here. There are several blind corners and riding behind someone helps you to have references. After yesterday’s crash, it is proving more difficult to be confident enough to push the front when entering corners. I am braking hard, but we have to improve the setup of the forks to turn in better and push the tyre when cornering. Tomorrow will be a tough race, but, like in France, we have to push hard and try to gain all the positions that we can.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR 2ND & 3RD ROWS AT MUGELLO

Qualifying in Mugello brought good news for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR, with both riders well in the top-10, eventually qualifying on the second and third row for tomorrow’s MotoGP™ grid.

Aleix Espargarò did an extraordinary job to overcome the pain in his right hand, finding a comfortable set-up that let him improve his lap times constantly during the morning session. Unfortunately he couldn’t get directly into Q2, but his exploits in Q1 finally granted him a place in the final fight for the top 12 positions on the grid. The qualifying session was an amazing battle between all the riders, with times dropping every lap. In the end, Espargarò got a 1’46.854s lap that gave him fifth place on the grid.

Today saw a positive performance also from Maverick Viñales, who dropped his times lap-after-lap in FP3, gaining a 1’47.557s lap that sent him directly into Q2. In qualifying his feeling with the GSX-RR set-up got better and better, especially in sectors two and three where he had been the fastest many times. At the end of qualifying he sits in ninth place on the grid with a brilliant lap of 1’46.934s.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“It’s been a very good day for us and both riders did a great job. Aleix is incredible: despite the condition he is in, he always succeeds in finding out that little bit more about himself and the bike. He did an excellent job in Q1 where with only one shot he assured himself a place in Q2, and then in Q2 he got the second row on a track where we know our machine is a little bit weak in acceleration. Maverick as well put in an excellent performance constantly improving his feeling with the bike and finally putting his machine on the third row. We must remark on our machine’s performance in the handling part of the track: the circuit is very peculiar, with uphill and downhill sections, but both riders are some of the fastest in these central sectors where handling is more important. This is positive for us and gives us further incentive to try to further improve our situation.”

Aleix Espargarò:

“I can’t be anything else than very happy. Only a few days ago I didn’t even know if I could ride and now I’m on the second row. It’s the first time in many years that I didn’t feel like pushing at my best in qualifying, because I was worried to crash again and hurt my hand further, thus preventing us to make a positive weekend. For sure the race will be tough because it’s hard for me because I feel pain when I do more than three or four laps, but my pace is pretty good, our main objective is to get into points and to take the best out of this difficult condition.”

Maverick Viñales:

“Going directly into Q2 is a good sensation for me. It’s very important for us to have found an effective set up that allowed me to constantly improve my lap times, finally getting on the third row. I feel confident with that, in the last races I’ve had to struggle to overtake riders in the middle of the pack, so maybe this time it will be easier for me to make my own pace. Of course the race will be very hard, we suffer a little on the straight, but I’m excited by how the GSX-RR behaves in the middle sectors; it is so easy in direction changes and also the braking performance is very positive. I’m very satisfied for qualifying, now I’m eager to race and see how it goes.”