FIM Moto2 World Championship Motorland Aragon, Spain September 18, 2010 Qualifying Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires): 1. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SPEED UP), 1:55.148 2. Scott REDDING, Great Britain (SUTER), 1:55.189 3. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (MOTOBI), 1:55.194 4. Julian SIMON, Spain (SUTER), 1:55.364 5. Simone CORSI, Italy (MOTOBI), 1:55.499 6. Claudio CORTI, Italy (SUTER), 1:55.585 7. Gabor TALMACSI, Hingary (SPEED UP), 1:55.627 8. Michele PIRRO, Italy (MORIWAKI), 1:55.752 9. Stefan BRADL, Germany (SUTER), 1:55.752 10. Raffaele DE ROSA, Italy (TECH 3), 1:55.794 11. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), 1:55.819 12. Toni ELIAS, Spain (MORIWAKI), 1:55.838 13. Kev COGHLAN, Great Britain (FTR), 1:55.859 14. Jules CLUZEL, France (SUTER), 1:55.882 15. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (SUTER), 1:55.941 16. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (BQR-MOTO2), 1:56.036 17. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (I.C.P.), 1:56.045 18. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (BIMOTA), 1:56.069 19. Hector FAUBEL, Spain (SUTER), 1:56.111 20. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (MORIWAKI), 1:56.124 21. Ratthapark WILAIROT, Thailand (BIMOTA), 1:56.220 22. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (FTR), 1:56.223 23. Roberto ROLFO, Italy (SUTER), 1:56.251 24. Mattia PASINI, Italy (SUTER), 1:56.341 25. Sergio GADEA, Spain (PONS KALEX), 1:56.411 26. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan (TECH 3), 1:56.440 27. Alex DEBON, Spain (FTR), 1:56.574 28. Anthony WEST, Australia (MZ-RE HONDA), 1:56.584 29. Roman RAMOS, Spain (MIR RACING), 1:56.596 30. Axel PONS, Spain (PONS KALEX), 1:56.691 31. Santiago HERNANDEZ, Colombia (MORIWAKI), 1:57.063 32. Fonsi NIETO, Spain (MORIWAKI), 1:57.159 33. Valentin DEBISE, France (ADV), 1:57.191 34. Mashel AL NAIMI, Qatar (BQR-MOTO2), 1:57.474 35. Kenny NOYES, USA (PROMOHARRIS), 1:57.524 36. Niccolo CANEPA, Italy (BIMOTA), 1:57.582 37. Robertino PIETRI, Venezuela (SUTER), 1:57.796 38. Yannick GUERRA, Spain (MORIWAKI), 1:57.948 39. Joan OLIVE, Spain (PROMOHARRIS), 1:58.052 40. Kazuki WATANABE, Japan (SUTER), 1:58.258 More, from a press release issued by Interwetten Moriwaki Motor2 Team: Qualifying did not go well for Lüthi The 20th starting position for the Grand Prix of Aragón tomorrow is not really the result Tom Lüthi and the Interwetten Moriwaki Moto2 Team did hope for this weekend. Especially after ninth, fourth and seventh position in the three free practice sessions yesterday and this morning Lüthi was looking for a better grid position. Nothing big has been changed at the bike and they did not “try around” as the 24-year-old Swiss stated earlier already this weekend, but they still suddenly suffered big problems during the qualifying which have to be solved now. There is not much time left until tomorrow’s race and only the Warm up will show if the solutions they still are looking for did help. Tom Lüthi, 20 1’56.124: “The qualifying did not go well at all and not as we expected it to be neither. We changed the rear tyre during the session, but should have also concentrated on the front tyre, but what really was the reason for my result we don’t know yet. We have to sit together and analyze and see if we can find a solution for tomorrow and there is not much time left now.” Terrell Thien, Team Manager: “I am disappointed, it looked much better in the free practices. Tom seems to have more problems as the other riders with the soft tyres. But why that is we don’t know. Unfortunately the best race set up doesn’t help much when you have to start the race from 20th position. Tom will have to fight hard to catch up some positions.” More, from a press release issued by Tech 3: Raffaele de Rosa targets season best result Tech 3 Racing Team rider Raffaele de Rosa has set his sights on a first top ten Moto2 finish after a positive qualifying performance this afternoon at the spectacular Motorland Aragon track. The Italian will start the 21-lap race from 10th position on the grid after registering a best lap time of 1.55.794 in another frantic session of Moto2 action. Having completed a successful test at the technical and challenging 5.078km Motorland Aragon track in July, de Rosa and his Tech 3 Racing crew have put in tremendous effort this weekend to improve the set-up of his machine. And that hard work paid dividends when de Rosa surged to the top of the timesheets in the early stages, the 23-year-old utilising the extra practice session available this weekend to maximise the race set-up of his Tech 3 Racing machine. Today’s result might have been better but pushing hard to improve his time in the final two minutes he crashed unhurt at turn five. He ended only 0.042s off the second row but is confident he can continue his recent strong run of results having scored top 15 finishes in two out of the previous three races. Yuki Takahashi will start the 12th round of series from 26th on the grid. Despite a positive test back in July, Takahashi has found it difficult to find a competitive pace this weekend. The Japanese rider experimented with a modified chassis yesterday, but while feeling some improvements, he opted to revert back to the previous version to clock a best time of 1.56.440. p> Takahashi is determined to produce a strong performance tomorrow in memory of compatriot Shoya Tomizawa, who was tragically killed during the recent Misano Moto2 race. Raffaele de Rosa 10th 1.55.794 17 laps “This is the second race in the last three that I have qualified in the top ten and that is very encouraging. It shows that all of the hard work we have put in is paying off and now I’m looking forward to getting my first top ten finish tomorrow. I think I could have been a bit higher up the grid but trying to improve at the end I used a little bit too much brake pressure and lost the front at turn five. Luckily I am fine and I’ll be ready for the race. The bike feels better than when we tested here in July and we have got some good information to modify the set-up for the race and I’m confident I can be fighting in the points again.̶ 1; Yuki Takahashi 26th 1.56.440 20 laps “It has been a difficult weekend. We had a good test here in July and we arrived confident of a strong weekend. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked out like that. We started with the base setting from the test but we used a modified chassis. The Tech 3 Racing Team worked really hard to build the frame but with the rain yesterday and some small problems we couldn’t find the right feeling with the time available. This afternoon we went back to the old frame and I was immediately faster but I’m still a long way down the grid. We will try some different settings tomorrow to see if we can improve but I am really determined to have a strong race in memory of my friend Shoya Tomizawa. I miss him a lot and I will be trying my best for him in tomorrow’s race.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: THIRD SUCCESSIVE FRONT ROW START FOR REDDING Scott Redding will start tomorrow’s Moto2 Grand Prix of Aragon from the front row of the grid after posting the second fastest time during this afternoon’s 40-minute qualifying session. Hector Faubel posted a qualifying time within one second of his Marc VDS teammate’s fastest lap and will start tomorrow’s race from the fifth row of the grid. Redding’s front row start at Aragon is his third in as many races and comes just two weeks after the 17-year-old Briton was involved in a crash at Misano that left him injured and took the life of fellow Moto2 competitor, Shoya Tomizawa. With all four practice sessions held in cold conditions at Aragon tyre durability has been an issue, but with higher temperatures forecast for race day tomorrow, Redding is confident he has the pace to run right at the front of the race once again and has his sights set firmly on the podium. Faubel looked all set to join his Marc VDS teammate towards the front of the grid, after making improvements to his Suter MMX machine during this morning’s final free practice. The 27-year-old Spaniard improved his lap times throughout this afternoon’s 40-minute timed session, but lost out on his final flying lap after being baulked by slower riders. Scott Redding #45: 2nd – 1’55.189 “The bike felt good, the times came pretty easy and I really thought I’d done enough to take pole, only to lose out to Iannone right at the end. I felt like I could have gone faster, down into the high 1’54s even, but my front tyre was shot and there was no time to return to the pits for fresh rubber. Of course, I gave it a go anyway, but had to back off after having to save a front-end slide by picking the bike up on my elbow! It would have been good to start tomorrow’s race from pole, but the front row will do for me. We had some problems with the front tyre today, but with higher temperatures promised for tomorrow I don’t think this will be an issue. If the conditions are right tomorrow then I have the pace to run right at the front of the race and I’ll definitely be looking for a podium finish. There’s no complicated race strategy in place for tomorrow, it will just be full gas from start to finish!” Hector Faubel #55: 19th – 1’56.111 “Everything was good today, right up until the final five minutes of qualifying. My feeling with the bike was good, my times were coming down and I was looking for a good grid position with my last flying lap. Unfortunately, I got held up by traffic and wasn’t able to go full gas before the end of the session and ended on the fifth row of the grid. I really wanted a podium finish here this weekend in front of my home crowd, but that’s impossible starting from 19th on the grid. My aim now is to finish inside the top ten, which is a realistic goal as long as I get a good start tomorrow.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Manager “Scott continues to impress with his qualifying performances. He was unlucky to miss out on pole – once again he was knocked from the top spot with only seconds of the session remaining – but the front row is good enough. We’ve seen a big improvement in Scott’s approach since Sachsenring and some of the credit has to go to the team around him, who have really gelled with their rider. I’m happy to see him up at the front of the grid after the tragic circumstances of two weeks ago and I’m confident he will be up there and fighting for his second Moto2 podium finish tomorrow. Scott set the bar high today and Hector was all set to try and match it, but got caught out in traffic right at the end of the session. As always he’ll be pushing hard to make up places from the start and I’m confident he has the pace to finish inside the top ten tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by JiR Moto2 Team: It is expected to be an exciting race, tomorrow, for the Aragon GP, as the two JiR Team riders ended up their qualifying with an excellent performance, that repays the work made by the team and the good potential of the two MotoBIs. Simone Corsi was a little under expectations during yesterday’s free practices, but the modifications applied on his machine gave the expected results, thus giving him back a good feeling with which he managed to hold the 5th position on the grid with a time of 1’55″499. Simone Corsi “Right at the beginning of the session I had a little too much enthusiasm and I made a mistake that made me slide, but I managed to recover quickly the right rhythm. Also for the race pace we should be comfortable, even if we still have the warm-up to finalize the last details. The second row is a good result, even because I’m only three tenths of a second from the pole. As this category has taught us it is fundamental to make a good start and keep in touch with the leaders, but I will also have to pay attention to tyre management because we have seen they get worse very quickly. I’m confident I will do a good race and gain some points for the Championship.” Pretty satisfied is also Alex De Angelis, who will start tomorrow from the first row thanks to his 1’55″194, which gives him 3rd position. This represents for him a confidence boosting result. Alex De Angelis “For sure it was a positive day, because I managed to be fast already in this morning’s free practice and in qualifying to gain 3rd place, meaning that the feeling with the bike is good. I missed the pole position by just a little, only 46 thousandths of a second, but being on the front row is already a great satisfaction that gives me back the smile I was missing since Misano. We worked with slight modifications on the machine, most of all to find the best set up for the rear that here deteriorates quickly, because the tarmac is cold and stresses the tyre a lot, but I believe we found a good set-up and I’m confident for tomorrow’s race.” The pole position goes to Andrea Iannone, followed by Scott Redding, while the World Championship leader Toni Elias will start from the 12th position. More, from a press release issued by Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas: Kenny Noyes Starts Aragon On Back Foot The weekend got off to a tough start for Kenny Noyes at the Motorland Aragon circuit, located near to Alcañiz in Spain. The 13th event on the calendar brought the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Racing rider a whole heap of bad luck on during free practice, causing Kenny to spend most of the sessions stuck in the pits instead of working on setting up his Promoharris Moto2 bike for Sunday’s race. A crash in the morning session followed by an electrical problem which was later tracked down to a loose electrical connection meant that Noyes only managed a total of 8 full laps during all three free practice sessions. Once the electrical fault had been tracked down, Kenny could get to work on the new setup he and Federico de Marca, the new suspension engineer who has joined the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Racing team, tried out at the Parcmotor Castellolí circuit last week. Kenny and Federico worked together previously when the American was racing in the Spanish Formula Extreme championship last year, and their renewed collaboration is already starting to bear fruit for the team. Losing three sessions of practice proved to be very costly for Noyes, though. Kenny had missed the mid-summer test at the Motorland Aragon circuit, and saw the track last during a cold and wet test session back in February. The setbacks in practice and the need to get reacquainted with the track left the Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas Racing rider qualified at the rear end of the grid. But having regained his confidence in his Promoharris bike, Kenny is determined to pick off as many as the riders ahead of him as possible, and is aiming for points. It won’t be the first time Kenny has made up 20 places during a race this year, and the American is confident he can do it again. Kenny Noyes 35th, fast lap 1’57.524 Kenny said: “Man, I hope we got all our bad luck out of the way at the start of the weekend! Losing all three free practice sessions at a track we haven’t tested at since February was real tough. I only did about eight clean laps in practice! That meant we only really started to work on set up during qualifying.” “The bike feels really different. The new suspension set up works really well, and I feel a lot more confident in the bike. I know I ‘m starting way down the field again, but at least we’re making progress.” “We’re taking a lot of positives into this race, and we’re in better shape for sure. I think I can run 1’57s all race, which should be good enough to get us near the points. I just have to work my way forward and see how far I can get by the end of the race.”