FIM Moto2 World Championship
Circuit of The Americas
Austin, Texas
April 12, 2014
Qualifying Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires):
1. Esteve RABAT, Spain (KALEX), 2:10.135 (New Circuit Best Lap Record)
2. Johann ZARCO, France (CATERHAM SUTER), 2:10.401
3. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), 2:10.422
4. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (SUTER), 2:10.666
5. Julian SIMON, Spain (KALEX), 2:10.702
6. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (KALEX), 2:10.708
7. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (KALEX), 2:10.748
8. Simone CORSI, Italy (FORWARD KLX), 2:10.789
9. Takaaki NAKAGAMI, Japan (KALEX), 2:10.851
10. Marcel SCHROTTER, Germany (TECH 3), 2:10.857
11. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KALEX), 2:10.945
12. Jordi TORRES, Spain (SUTER), 2:10.994
13. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (SUTER), 2:11.032
14. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (SUTER), 2:11.127
15. Sandro CORTESE, Germany (KALEX), 2:11.430
16. Luis SALOM, Spain (KALEX), 2:11.496
17. Sam LOWES, UK (SPEED UP), 2:11.614
18. Louis ROSSI, France (KALEX), 2:11.860
19. Anthony WEST, Australia (SPEED UP), 2:11.893
20. Mattia PASINI, Italy (FORWARD KLX), 2:11.960
21. Franco MORBIDELLI, Italy (KALEX), 2:12.045
22. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (TECH 3), 2:12.130
23. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (SUTER), 2:12.311
24. Lorenzo BALDASSARRI, Italy (SUTER), 2:12.363
25. Axel PONS, Spain (KALEX), 2:12.453
26. Nicolas TEROL, Spain (SUTER), 2:12.498
27. Josh HERRIN, USA (CATERHAM SUTER), 2:12.594
28. Hafizh SYAHRIN, Malaysia (KALEX), 2:12.640
29. Robin MULHAUSER, Switzerland (SUTER), 2:13.209
30. Tetsuta NAGASHIMA, Japan (TSR), 2:13.352
31. Thitipong WAROKORN, Thailand (KALEX), 2:13.402
32. Roman RAMOS, Spain (SPEED UP), 2:13.637
33. Azlan SHAH, Malaysia (KALEX), 2:13.795
34. Gino REA, UK (SUTER), 2:14.749
More, from a press release issued by AirAsia Caterham Moto2 Team:
Front Row Start for AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing
Circuit: Circuit Of The Americas
Circuit Length: 5.513 km
Weather
Qualifying: (Conditions) Dry; (air temp) 28°, (track temp) 45°
AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing rider Johann Zarco put in a superb performance during Moto2 Qualifying as he continued to dominate throughout, only to be knocked from the pole position spot on the last lap by Spanish rider Esteve Rabat.
The Frenchman will start tomorrow’s race from the front row in P2.
After an unfortunate crash hampering Josh Herrin from progressing in FP3, the Moto2 rookie worked hard to improve his time during the qualifying session. Knocking 1.349s off his best time, the young American will start his home race from P27 on the grid.
Johann Zarco: P2 / 2’10.401 / 17 laps
“Good qualifying! I’m not disappointed because I almost did the pole position.
“Tito Rabat was 0.266s faster and these three tenths I tried but I couldn’t do. Today this lap time was mine and I have shown that I can repeat it. The pace is good so this is good information for the race on Sunday.
“Now the target is to stay with this top group. I think it’s still going to be Tito because he is the best rider at the moment in Moto2, so if I can fight with him the entire race until the end it’s going to be a good Sunday.”
Josh Herrin: P27 / 2’12.594 / 13 laps
“This morning was kind of a wash. We had some problems with the front feeling and I made a dumb mistake. As I got on the brakes on one of rumble strips I caught the lip so ended up crashing and losing the rest of the session.
“We ended up going out in Qualifying and I got down to the best time I’ve been able to do right away which was good.
“Hopefully in the morning session we can continue with the progress and get a good start in the race and try and run with the guys for the points.”
Johann Stigefelt – Team Manager:
“So far it’s been great. We came here with high hopes because Zarco loves this track and we thought he could do well but to be so dominating in FP1 and FP2 and then to go out in Qualifying where he really put down the bench mark, showing everyone that he is really fast, is amazing.
“His times are consistent and we are so happy with him and the set-up right now. We are just making minor changes to try and improve a little bit. We are 100% race ready; we know which tyres to use and we have a good plan. Of course anything can happen like in Qatar, so we don’t want to be too confident but if everything goes well hopefully we can fight for the podium positions.
“For Josh unfortunately we’ve had some problems with bike set-up this weekend and following the crash in FP3 we have basically lost a session.
“In the end in qualifying he bettered his lap time quite well and we can see on his ideal time he can do it, he can do a high 2m11s which was our target. So we need some more focus and we need to work hard and hopefully tomorrow we can get a good start like in Qatar and try to run around the top fifteen and that will be the target for Josh tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team:
West finds good rhythm at the end of qualifying – Ramos plans to attack in the race
On the last four laps of qualifying for the Grand Prix of the Americas, QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West found a good rhythm with his Speed Up prototype and gained confidence to be able to fight for a Top Ten position in the Moto2 race on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Australian had struggled with set-up issues in the free practice session on Saturday morning. Further changes to his machine improved both cornering and grip, but West needed some time in the crucial qualifying session to find the right riding style. Without any slipstream on his fastest lap, he eventually climbed up to 19th place on the starting grid and is now looking forward to claw his way towards the front in the race.
Spanish team-mate Román Ramos continued his steady improvements in the morning session, where he took another second off his previous best time, but ran into a few small set-up problems in the qualifying in the afternoon. Unable to match his previous best time, Ramos had to settle for 32nd place on the grid but plans to attack in the race.
Anthony West – 19th in 2.11,893
“I wasn’t really happy this morning, because the bike didn’t feel good. I still couldn’t get the bike to turn or get enough grip, so we concentrated on solving these issues and finally got the bike to turn better. In qualifying, I probably didn’t really understand how the bike was until the end of the session. I just couldn’t get it to work, also because there was a lot of traffic and I didn’t get a good run. In the end, I went out on my own. I told myself that I had to relax, because every time I’m getting frustrated, I ride slower because I become too aggressive on the bike. So I tried to relax, to understand the bike and on the last four laps, I felt really good with the bike. It turned out that we made a huge step in comparison to how it felt this morning. I did my time completely alone without any slipstream and now I’m confident for the race. Turning is much better and even though the bike is still not gripping, it is more controllable. Before, it was really aggressive, kicking me out of the seat and messing up my lines. Now I am able to slide it and keep it under control. It should be good for the race. My aim is the same as it was at Qatar: To get a good start and fight for a Top Ten position!”
Roman Ramos – 32nd in 2.13,637
“In the third free practice session this morning, I went quite a lot quicker than yesterday. I was a full second faster than on Friday, which gave us confidence for qualifying this afternoon. I was convinced I would end up with a good position on the grid, but it was not meant to be. We had a few small problems with the bike and I couldn’t improve further, I was in fact a bit slower than this morning. But we will keep working to solve these problems in order to be well prepared when it counts tomorrow. I definitely want to make up a few positions in the race!”
More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:
Record-breaker Rabat storms to Texas pole
Austin, Texas – 12 April 2014: The Marc VDS Racing Team’s Tito Rabat rode the fastest ever Moto2 lap of the spectacular Circuit of the Americas this afternoon to claim a stunning pole position that maintained the Spaniard’s perfect start to 2014.
After claiming the pole and victory double in Qatar, Rabat rode a faultless last lap of 2’10.135 this afternoon to top the qualifying timesheets by 0.266s.
His fantastic last lap, which came after his crew had calmly rectified a clutch and gearbox issue in high-pressure circumstances, secured the second successive pole position at COTA for the Marc VDS Racing Team, after Scott Redding took the first ever Moto2 pole in Texas a year ago.
Mika Kallio’s bid for a second successive COTA rostrum will start from 11th position, the Finnish rider unable to capitalise on the grip offered by fresh Dunlop tyres at the end of qualifying.
Kallio though has been one of the strongest performers on worn tyres all weekend, and he remains confident that he can follow up his second position in Qatar with another strong challenge for the top three in tomorrow’s 19-lap encounter.
Livio Loi was far from satisfied with his feeling on the Kalex-KTM package in a difficult Moto3 qualifying session.
A lack of rear grip on acceleration meant Loi was unable to match his promising practice pace, and a fastest lap of 2.19.014 will see him make his COTA debut from 24th position on the grid.
Tito Rabat // Pole Position // 2’10.135
“I am really happy to be back on pole position because that qualifying session was very difficult at times. All weekend we have had a problem with the gearbox and downshifting to first gear. That becomes a big issue at this track where there are five first gear corners. In qualifying my team did an unbelievable job to find a solution and I don’t think many in the paddock could do that. My last lap was fantastic and I am confident for the race. It is going to be a tough race with so many riders fast but it would be great to get another victory to follow up from Qatar.”
Mika Kallio // 11th // 2’10.945
“Unfortunately I had a similar problem today that I had many times in qualifying last season. At the start when most riders are out on used tyres, I am one of the fastest and in the top three. But at the end when everybody is switching to fresh rubber, I can’t feel the benefit and the lap time is worse. It happened this morning too when I was faster on tyres with more than 30 laps on them than I was on a new tyre. It is hard to explain but the bike behaves completely different. It makes it very difficult for the race to start 11th but last year I started ninth and still fought back to take a podium, so with a good start anything is possible.”
Livio Loi // 24th // 2’19.014
“The qualifying session was very bad for me and I am not happy at all. The feeling wasn’t good on the bike and the lap time wouldn’t come. I felt like I was pushing really hard and doing everything to make a lap time but I couldn’t go quicker than in practice. Each time I tried to push hard out of a corner I’d lose the rear and have a big moment. I also had some movement on the front but obviously part of the problem is me and I need to sit down with my team tonight and find something for tomorrow, because it will be a very difficult race from 24th on the grid.”
Michael Bartholemy // Team Principal
“Tito did a fantastic job because we had an issue with downshifting and it was getting quite stressful at one stage in the garage. But his crew showed great skill and professionalism to solve the issue and I am so happy he could make that last lap. It is the second time at this track and the second time a Marc VDS rider has taken pole, so we can go into the race confident that Tito will be battling for the win. With Mika we expected a little bit more and I thought he’d at least be on the second row. We know how strong he is on worn tyres and I fully expect to see him in the battle inside the top six. It was disappointing for Livio and absolutely not what I expected from him. This year we have to be fighting consistently for the points and we are far away from that at this track. Hopefully he can be strong in the race and show more of his potential.”
More, from a press release issued by Tech 3:
Schrotter soars into top ten at Texas
Marcel Schrotter produced a spirited display today with the Mistral 610 around the Circuit of the Americas to climb to 10th position for tomorrow’s Moto2 Grand Prix.
The young German rider completed a highly successful qualifying campaign today at round two of the Moto2 World Championship by guiding his Mistral 610 inside the top ten, in the ferociously competitive intermediate class. Despite some early issues, Schrotter worked tirelessly with his Tech3 Racing Moto2 Team to complete the session with a best time of 2:10.857. The lap time was just over seven tenths from the leading Moto2 bike, and quicker than his best lap from FP1 by a massive two and a half seconds. Schrotter will now fight to finish inside the top ten and score his first points in tomorrow’s 19 lap race.
Ricky Cardus today rode to 22nd in the Moto2 Qualifying session around the 5.513 kilometre Texan circuit. Unfortunately a fall at the beginning of the session impacted upon his finishing time, as his Mistral 610 was damaged. After closing positively yesterday’s practice session in 9th position, Cardus, who continues to replace the recovering Alex Mariñelarena, produced a best time of 2:12.130. Although the young Spanish rider will start from the rear of the field, he remains hopeful of finishing in the top15 and scoring points.
Marcel Schrotter – 10th – 2:10.857:
“This weekend we managed to improve with every session. Unfortunately, we struggled a little to find a base setup in the early stages and also I needed some time to feel comfortable with myself on the bike. Afterwards we tried to find the best gear ratios for the tight corners on this track, as I wasn’t sure which would be the best configuration for the race. But finally this afternoon, I was really content with my Mistral 610. As in Qatar, we always improve in time for the qualifying session and I think we were better prepared today than 2 weeks ago. I managed to improve the time from this morning by 1.3 seconds and I felt really comfortable on the bike. Also, the fact that I did my quickest lap on my own makes me truly confident for tomorrow. With a good start we can have a strong race, as my pace on used tyres this morning was very promising”.
Ricky Cardus – 22nd – 2:12.130 :
Actually, the qualifying has been the worst session of the whole weekend. I made a silly mistake at the beginning of the practice and afterwards my dashboard was not working properly ; for example I had no lights indicating the gear shifting and it was hard to turn the bike. We still managed to do a 2:12.1min that I have to be happy with considering my mistake. So unfortunately we have to start from the back in 22nd position. We have been strong and competitive all weekend, and I feel very confident with the used tyres, so I’m sure that with a good start we can recover numerous positions and finish in the top 15. The race will be long, but also enjoyable and if the weather stays dry we will see some good battles and overtaking.
More, from a press release issued by FIM:
FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix
Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas – Decision of the Race Direction
On 12 April, 2014 during the Moto2 Qualifying session of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, rider number 54 Mattia Pasini was riding at slower than racing speed waiting for other riders to follow, disturbing and causing danger to other riders.
This is considered to be irresponsible riding, and is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.
A Race Direction hearing was held with the rider Mattia Pasini.
The decision of Race Direction is to impose an Official Warning on rider number 54 Mattia Pasini, according to Article 3.2.1 of the 2014 FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Disciplinary and Arbitration Code.
No appeal was lodged.