Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon
FIM MotoGP World Championship
Motorland Aragon, Alcaniz, Spain
September 24, 2016
Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):
From Qualifying Knockout Session Two:
1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:47.117
2. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:47.748
3. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:47.778
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:47.819
5. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:47.843, crash
6. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:47.951
7. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:48.017, crash
8. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:48.230
9. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:48.236
10. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:48.242
11. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:48.448
12. Stefan BRADL, Germany (APRILIA), 1:49.083
From Qualifying Knockout Session One:
13. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:48.596
14. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), 1:48.622
15. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), 1:48.954
16. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (DUCATI), 1:49.052
17. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:49.139
18. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:49.319
19. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (HONDA), 1:49.490
20. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:49.841
21. Alex LOWES, UK (YAMAHA), no time recorded
More, from a press release issued by Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Spanish rider Tito Rabat led the charge for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in qualifying for Sunday’s Aragon Grand Prix.
Rabat will start the 23-lap race at Motorland Aragon from position 18 on the grid, one spot ahead of temporary teammate Nicky Hayden, the 2006 MotoGP World Champion.
Making impressive progress with front-end feel Rabat posted his fastest lap of the weekend so far with his qualifying run of 1’49.319s.
Tyre choice will be crucial for the race on the 5km Motorland layout and both Rabat and Hayden will finalise those decisions in the pre-race warm-up session.
Focussing on the learning curve of coming to grips with a factory Honda RC213V and the latest Michelin tyres Hayden was rewarded for his efforts in qualifying.
With a time of 1’49.490 the 35-year-old American sliced more than one second from his previous best despite the setback of a high-speed crash at turn 14 in the morning FP3 session.
Hayden is making one-off return to the premier class as a replacement for injured Australian rider Jack Miller who is scheduled to return at the next race in Japan.
Qualifying was run in sunny and warm conditions with a track temperature of 42 degrees.
Tito Rabat: 18th – 1’49.319
“It has been a positive day and I improved my time by almost one second from FP3 so this is a good step for the race. The most important job now is to select the right front tyre for the race from the options Michelin have brought to this circuit. My plan is to build on my pace and confidence and try to score some points.”
Nicky Hayden: 19th – 1’49.490
“Finally in qualifying I started to get the feeling with the bike and the tyres and was able to enjoy riding. It has not been easy to find the direction and the limit on the front with the latest Michelin tyres. We made a little tweak to the set-up for my second qualifying run and the bike felt a lot better and I think we have a good direction for the race. I knew coming back for just one race would not be easy but I’m making progress and looking to have a fun race.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Both riders made a good lap time in qualifying and the improvement by Tito was very satisfying but as we see in MotoGP everyone is always going faster so now we need to build on this for the race. I’m happy with the job Nicky is doing, it is not easy to step back into MotoGP and I expect that with his experience he will make further progress in the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Pull&Bear Aspar riders close to Q2 after tight qualifying
Yonny Hernández and Eugene Laverty amongst the pacesetters in Q1 but finally miss out on Q2 by four tenths
The Motorland Aragón circuit has only known one pole sitter in the MotoGP class since 2013 and once again it was Marc Márquez who took the honour in 2016. Márquez clocked a time of 1’47.117 to keep Maverick Viñales at bay by six tenths of a second, with an all-Spanish front row completed by Jorge Lorenzo in third place. Dani Pedrosa, the fastest man on track on Friday, will start from seventh after a crash on his final attempt at a qualifying lap, which was otherwise on course for a front row start. Valentino Rossi launches his latest attempt to close the gap on series leader Marc Márquez from the second row in sixth place.
Pull&Bear Aspar riders Yonny Hernández and Eugene Laverty both narrowly missed out on an appearance in Q2 after showing good pace in free practice and then both featuring in the decisive top two positions during the early stages of Q1. However, they were outdone by four tenths of a second, with Hernández the highest qualifier of the two in fifteenth place. The Colombian is targeting points in tomorrow’s race and a potential top ten finish, which is also the objective for his team-mate Eugene Laverty. The Irishman crashed shortly before the end of FP4, an unfortunate setback just before starting Q1. Laverty is sure that the tight lap times today will be reflected in an interesting race tomorrow.
15th Yonny Hernández 1.48.954: “This time we were very close to making it through to Q2, but in the end it wasn’t to be. We gave our best to get one of those positions and it was nice to be in the fight. I think we made a mistake with the front tyre choice because I was losing the front in a few places. I think we could have improved more on the other tyre but at least we now have some good data for the race. My pace is good enough to be fighting for a top ten finish and to pick up some more points.”
16th Eugene Laverty 1.49.052: “The crash in FP4, I made a mistake just pushing a little too hard. Our rhythm was really good at that point, I was in eleventh position and that’s always a good indication for the race pace. Qualifying was very close, we were not so far from making it through to Q2, I just didn’t make a fantastic lap but the times are very close so it should make for an interesting race tomorrow. Even the front guys, the lap times are not so far away from us so I think it could be much closer tomorrow than it has been for the last few races.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Resilient Espargaro to launch from the fourth row for Aragon GP
Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Pol Espargaro will contest the 14th round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship from 11th on the grid after giving his all in what was a challenging qualifying day at the Motorland Aragon circuit. In an eventful FP3 session, Espargaro took to the track and began building up his speed, but unfortunately crashed at the midpoint of the session. He rushed back to the pit box and bravely mounted his second bike, but shortly afterwards, he was hit by a falling Marc Marquez, who caused him to crash again although he did not suffer any serious injuries. Nevertheless, his personal best from yesterday was strong enough to clinch 10th in the combined standings and this lap carried him through to QP2. After a strong showing in FP4 where he refined his race setup for tomorrow, he finished only half a second back from Valentino Rossi in second. Then, in QP2, he immediately attacked and after steadily increasing his pace, he posted his fastest time on his penultimate run, which left him just 0.670 from the rear of the front row. Espargaro now intends to undertake a rocket start and then compete for a top-tier placement in front of his fans.
Meanwhile, Alex Lowes endured a tough day at the Aragon Grand Prix after falling this morning during FP3 and injuring his left foot. An X-ray revealed that there were no broken bones, but swelling and hematoma in his foot, caused a lack of sensation and so he was forced to sit out FP4 and Qualifying. The medical staff will review the young Briton’s condition tomorrow morning and a decision regarding his participation in his third MotoGP race will then be made.
Pol Espargaro
Position: 11th Time: 1’48.448 Laps: 6
“We started the weekend well yesterday so I have to admit that today wasn’t great and 11th on the grid is not at all close to what we were aiming for. Having said that, after the two crashes this morning I lost a bit of confidence, plus I struggled with grip issues in the afternoon so I didn’t want to risk falling again in Q2. The result is even more of a bitter pill to swallow because I am racing in front of my home crowd and I really hoped to give them something to cheer about. Anyway, for my first crash this morning, I lost the front but the tough thing for us is that we don’t know why I ended up in the gravel so it’s difficult to try and amend this. With regards to the second fall, Marc went too fast and took me out. This was a big shame because it left me without a bike for the remainder of the FP3 session. However, I remain optimistic for tomorrow because with the race tyres, I feel more competitive. On the grid in front of me, there are some riders who are strong on a single lap time in qualifying, but my rhythm is better than theirs over a long distance. So I need to undertake a good start and move past them, which should be easier here because the track layout of the Aragon circuit is much better for overtaking as opposed to Misano. It’s been an unlucky day, but I am not injured and I will push hard from the word go tomorrow so that I can hopefully finish well in front of my fans.”
Alex Lowes
Position: DNS
“It’s clear to say that I am very disappointed about what happened today because I love riding the Yamaha YZR-M1 as well as racing with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team and at this round, I wanted to keep on improving just like I have done in the past two GP’s. With regards to the crash, I feel a bit unlucky to have fallen on the first lap, but a few other riders also did at this time in the session too. Yet, unfortunately for me it was at the fastest corner of the track and in fact, it was one of the biggest crashes of my career so I think that I am really lucky to walk away with this injury and nothing worse. I have to say sorry to the entire team and the mechanics who have all worked really hard in my full three races with them. They have been fantastic, plus they made me feel welcome. We will see what happens tomorrow morning, but it would certainly be a pity to end my MotoGP experience with Tech3 in this way.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Second row start for Andrea Dovizioso, fourth in qualifying for Aragón GP. Michele Pirro, in seventeenth, will start from row 6
Andrea Dovizioso set fourth-quickest time in qualifying for the Aragón Grand Prix, and as a result will start from row 2 of the grid for Sunday’s race, which is scheduled to get underway at 1400 CET. This morning the Ducati Team’s Romagna-born rider was eighth-quickest in the aggregate FP1/FP2/FP3 standings and went directly through into Q2 in the afternoon. After taking part in FP4, in which he was seventh-quickest, Dovizioso took to the track for the second qualifying run and he set his best time of 1’47.819 on the first lap of his second exit.
Michele Pirro, who replaced the injured Andrea Iannone in the afternoon’s FP2 session, had a more complicated day. This morning, the rider from the south of Italy was fourteenth-quickest in the combined standings and therefore had to take part in Q1. Here, following a harmless crash during his second attempt, he was unable to go any higher than seventh place with a time of 1’49.139, finishing seventeenth overall.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’47.819 (4th)
“I am happy with the work we did today because we were able to make big improvements in my feeling with the bike, allowing me to go well in FP4, which is the session that is closest to the race conditions. We started off with tyres that had already been used in the morning, and even though they were a bit worn, I lapped in a low 1’49” in my last exit, which is very positive. Qualifying went good as well and so I want to thank my team because we’ve worked well throughout the weekend, in a difficult situation seeing as there is very little grip on the track. Row 2 is a good position for the start and tomorrow I will do everything possible to have a good race at this circuit, in particular because in the past I have never been able to get any good results at Aragón.”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 1’49.139 (17th)
“I lost a lot of time in FP3 this morning with a problem and unfortunately wasn’t able to improve my position. As a result I had to take part in Q1, where I tried to save the tyres hoping to pass into Q2, but unfortunately I made a mistake by pushing a bit too hard and I crashed. I feel pretty bad about it because I hoped to qualify much better than I did, but tomorrow I will try and make amends by having a good race.”
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Barbera and Baz ready to race in Aragon
Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera was twice close to get in Q2 today. The first time was during FP3 this morning, and then again in Q1, when only 0.077s prevented him to get through. But the most important thing today was that he felt strong and was working in the right direction during the weekend. He is ready to race tomorrow and looks forward to a good result at the Grand Prix of Aragon in front of his home crowd.
Today was another tough day for Loris Baz. Due to his right foot injury, he is forced to ride the bike in a different style, which makes him very tired. The pain on his foot is not too much while riding the bike, but the lack of training for a prolonged period due to his consecutive injuries, takes its toll. Nevertheless, the brave Avintia Racing rider is determined to finish the race on a high note and to get a valuable experience before heading to the overseas races.
Hector Barbera | 1’48.699 | P13
“I’m a little bit disappointed because this morning I missed Q2 by some tenths and this afternoon we were just few thousandths of a second away from getting through. Finally I’m 13th on the grid. But I think the race will be a different story and I feel ready for the battle. Maybe there are some difficult areas for our bike at this track and I don’t want to be complaining about riding an old bike, but at the end of the day, this is the reality. We are racing against the best riders in the world and it is frustrating to know that I have the talent to be with them, but it is not possible. And racing here in Spain is especially tough, because you always want to get the best. But we have to accept the situation and it is something we knew before the start of the season. Overall I’m happy because we are doing a good job this weekend and now we have to wait and see how the race goes.”
Loris Baz | 1’49.841 | P20
“Right now I feel like I raced two races in a row, I’m so exhausted. This bike is difficult to ride when you are at 100%, so when you are close to 50%, it gets really tough. But overall, I think that we did well in qualifying today, we had good pace and finishing just one second behind Hector in my condition, and on a track with lap times of two minutes, is a great achievement. My foot is not too painful, but I’m destroyed physically. We have some issues with the bike, but I think they stem mainly from the way I’m riding the bike. With 23 laps, the race will be very long tomorrow, but dry or wet, my aim is to reach the finish line. I want to say big thanks to the Clinica Mobile for setting me up during the weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA CONTINUES TO IMPROVE AT ARAGÓN
Q2 AND FOURTH ROW FOR STEFAN BRADL, FIFTH ROW FOR BAUTISTA
The RS-GP machines confirm their progress once again in the Aragón qualifiers, with Stefan Bradl good enough to go through to Q2 and Alvaro Bautista just missing the second session by 3 tenths. The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders will therefore start from the fourth (twelfth best time for Bradl) and fifth row (fourteenth for Bautista).
Stefan and Alvaro continued their hard work in the two practice sessions, searching for the best race pace on a track that had already highlighted the close times yesterday using a new tyre, but significant drops in pace lap by lap. This is a situation that makes it essential on one hand, to choose the most suitable tyre of the available options and on the other, to constantly fine tune the electronic and chassis configurations. During morning FP3, Alvaro was also involved in a harmless crash during a session that was noted for the many falls because of the rather cold asphalt.
In Q1, Bradl and Bautista started off enthusiastically, putting good times on the sheets from the first outing. Back in pit lane to change tyres, they then went after the top two spots, the ones that would send them through to Q2. Stefan earned the privilege with the second best time, 1’48.622, just 26 thousandths behind the best. Alvaro, on the other hand, just missed the second qualifying session by less than 3 tenths with a time of 1’48.904.
In Q2, Stefan Bradl gave it his all, not having new tyres available, but taking a promising twelfth place.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“The conditions this morning were not the best. I crashed without pushing particularly hard, losing a bit of confidence. In the afternoon we picked up where we had left off. In FP4 especially, I did a lot of laps on a used tyre, maintaining a good pace and that makes me very hopeful for the race. In qualifying, during my fast lap I made a small mistake on the last corner that surely cost me a few tenths. In any case, we are starting from a good position as we have for the last few races and this demonstrates our progress. We can say that we are reaping the benefits of what we have done so far on the RS-GP. Tomorrow we have all our papers in order to set our sights on a good result”.
STEFAN BRADL
“A great day for us. Going through to Q2 is an important achievement. We have not made any big changes compared with yesterday. We simply fine-tuned the setup since the sensations were already good. This morning was not easy. We saw many crashes and I almost had a sliding crash myself at a certain point. In the afternoon the situation improved. I had a good feeling with my Aprilia and we were able to do a fast lap to go through to Q2. At that point I did not have any new front tyre to use, but my starting position makes me confident anyway. We have prepared for the race as best we can. If the conditions are like they were today we will be able to do well”.
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP SECURE FIRST AND SECOND ROW START IN SUNNY ARAGÓN
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi made the most of an eventful second day at the Motorland Aragón circuit, taking third and sixth respectively on the grid for tomorrow‘s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón.
Alcañiz (Spain), 24th September 2016
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s local hero Jorge Lorenzo waited until the final moment to secure a third place starting position today at the Motorland Aragón circuit. Teammate Valentino Rossi was also in contention for a front row until the lap times tumbled during the last minutes of today‘s close 15-minute qualifying session and he will start tomorrow‘s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón from sixth on the grid.
Eager to position his Yamaha YZR-M1 at the front of the field, Lorenzo was the last rider out of the box as ‘Qualifying 2’ began, to find some clear space on track. He cautiously warmed up his tyres, setting provisional seventh fastest time on his first attempt, before he quickly put the hammer down and improved to a 1‘47.934s on his second effort, taking hold of third position.
With six minutes remaining, he returned to the box before rejoining the track for a final attack. As the times dropped, the Mallorcan put his head down at the very end of the session and delivered a 1‘47.778s to take third on the grid at the final flag.
Rossi had a similar strategy to his teammate. The Doctor, who walked away uninjured from an early crash in this morning‘s FP3 session, left it late to leave pit lane at the beginning of Q2. After he gave the other riders a head start before heading out on track, he quickly dropped a first flying lap of 1‘48.729s, taking provisional third place until the pace picked up when his rivals completed their second lap. He improved on his time on his second try, reclaiming third place by posting a 1‘48.110s, but was soon pushed back one place by his teammate.
With a little more than six minutes remaining the Italian returned to the pits and quickly headed back out on track a minute later to resume his time attack. He improved on his best time on his third attempt, but a flurry of hot laps by rivals in the last minutes landed him in seventh position. With just enough time left for one final push, Rossi dropped under the 1‘48s mark with a 1‘47.951s, to secure sixth on the grid, from where he will start tomorrow‘s race.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
It‘s been an eventful second day at the Motorland Aragón circuit. Jorge worked in the right direction in the free practice sessions and he did well to drop a strong 1‘47.778s in the last minute to secure third place. Valentino had a crash this morning on cold tyres, but he is unharmed. His sixth position in qualifying isn‘t an accurate reflection of his speed. The pace he has shown during the practices is promising, so we have good confidence for the race, though there is still a gap to our main competitors. We will look to make another step before tomorrow‘s warm up to be capable of fighting for the podium.
JORGE LORENZO
This morning with the soft front tyre I was competitive, just like yesterday. The only problem is that when we put in a hard-and-hard combination on this bike and with my riding, that I‘m too slow. The other‘s don‘t suffer so much and can be competitive, so we have to decide if tomorrow it‘s possible to use the soft rear tyre, because with that option we are maybe not as fast as our main rival, but we are OK. With the hard one, it‘s difficult, so let‘s see if the soft tyre is the right option, because it looks like after 10 or 15 laps especially the right side is destroyed.
VALENTINO ROSSI
It was a difficult day. The start was the worst because I made a mistake on cold tyres and I crashed. The shoulder and the hand are OK, but we lost a lot of time and we need to try something and work on the bike. This afternoon in the free practice it wasn‘t so bad and I had quite a good pace, so I wanted and expected to start a little bit more towards the front. Unfortunately, during a good lap I wasn‘t strong enough and from second place we are all very close, so I have to start from the second row. Now we have to work because during the race the story will be very different: it‘s a long race and everybody is struggling with the tyres, so we need to find the best way to be fast again.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez takes impressive home pole position, Pedrosa seventh after late crash
Marc Marquez took the 64th pole of his Grand Prix career today at Motorland Aragón (his sixth this year and his 36th in MotoGP), setting an impressive pace that allowed him to lead the timesheets by an amazing 0.631 seconds at day’s end. The Repsol Honda rider has taken six poles here across all classes, four in MotoGP. Today he also equalled Jorge Lorenzo for most career poles in history.
Marc felt comfortable with his bike setup this morning and set the fastest lap times in both FP3 (despite a crash) and FP4, making the best of the sunny and warm conditions. In qualifying he recorded his quickest lap time during his first exit, and although he didn’t improve upon it later in the session, nobody was able to set a time that was close to it.
Dani Pedrosa, the fastest rider yesterday, continued the productive work on his RC213V setup and tyres in today’s free practice sessions but was unlucky in qualifying, crashing on his second flying lap when he was a mere 78 thousandths of a second off his teammate’s pole time into the track’s third sector. Nonetheless, he showed that he has both the pace and the speed to ride at the front, and tomorrow he will start from seventh on the grid, one place higher than his grid position prior to winning the last GP.
Marc Marquez
POLE POSITION 1’47.117
“I’m very happy with how the day went, especially with the pace we had in FP4, which was very good. Today we found a good setup for the bike and we were able to improve on yesterday, although it was a shame about the crash this morning. In qualifying I was very comfortable on my first lap, as it is when the tyre has its maximum potential, and I also pushed on my second lap but not as close to the limit. With today’s temperatures we were able to work very well with the front end. Hopefully the good weather continues tomorrow. If it gets colder, we would have to reassess the front tyre choice. Regardless, I’m satisfied; like every year, I feel very good at this track and I hope we can finish well on Sunday.”
Dani Pedrosa
7TH 1’48.017
“I had a very strong pace in the last free practice, and in the qualifying session I was going very well. It’s a shame that I crashed when I was riding at practically the pole position time on my best lap, as I think we could have taken a spot on the front row, something we have found hard lately. Now we must forget this and concentrate on the race, in which setting a good pace, the tyre choice and gaining as many places as possible on the first lap will be key.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
VIÑALES & SUZUKI ECSTAR FRONT ROW AT ARAGON
Maverick Viñales – 2nd.
Aleix Espargaró – 8th.
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s Maverick Viñales put together a sensational lap in the closing seconds of Q2 at the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón MotoGP™ in Spain to take second position, as team-mate Aleix Espargaró finished eighth.
Viñales and Espargaró’s crews worked on revised settings on the GSX-RRs from data acquired yesterday at the Motorland Aragon circuit and were immediately on a better pace in this morning’s FP3, both riders qualifying directly to Q2. Viñales was third with a time of 1’48.052 and Espargaró fifth with a best-lap of 1’48.308 (0.242 and 0.498 respectively from Pole Position).
In the all-important 15-minute final Qualifying 2, Viñales waited until 30 seconds from the end of the session to set a blistering 1’47.748-second lap; by far his fastest of the weekend. Espargaró, who will line-up in the middle of Row 3 tomorrow, also improved his lap-time, setting a 1’48.230.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“Today Maverick did a very good job ending up in second place and the first row for tomorrow’s race. This is very important and came thanks to an excellent performance. Also, Aleix could have been in a better position, but he couldn’t exploit the qualifying at its best and so this resulted in a third row position, but his pace is good and his performance has improved. For tomorrow’s race, Maverick will try to stay with the leaders while Aleix will have to recover. In FP4 they both did a really good job with many improvements and the pace is consistent and positive. As a team, we will try to find some further improvements in the set-up and exploit the potential for a good race.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Today we did a really good job, we improved since yesterday and also found an effective time attack that resulted in the second position. This morning, my team delivered me an improved machine that allowed me to enter the Q2 and then in the afternoon we really hit the good lap. We also worked on the pace in FP4 and I feel consistent and efficient, although I still feel we can find something to further improve. We will work on this, as tomorrow, the race will be very hard, so it’s important to try all we can to make a good race. Tyres will also be important; they will drop their performance a lot in the race so it will be important to be careful to preserve them.”
Aleix Espargaró:
“I’m really disappointed with the result in qualifying, as this morning we made important improvements from yesterday and I felt really confident, but finally in Q2 I couldn’t find the perfect lap. I made many mistakes in the time-attacks, didn’t feel completely confident with the rear tyre; and couldn’t find the most effective riding to attack. It’s a pity because after this morning I felt a lot better in my performance and potential, but the good thing is that we worked hard on the pace in FP4 and that side leaves me confident.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW QUALIFIES AS THE TOP INDIPENDENT TEAM RIDER IN ARAGON
Cal Crutchlow will start Sunday’s Grand Prix of Aragon from the second row of the grid after an impressive performance during qualifying sealed the fifth fastest time of the session. The Briton’s performance once again sealed the accolade of Top Independent Team for LCR Honda, and that was despite a front-end crash on his second qualifying run.
The 30 year-old has been in fine form all weekend, despite still lamenting about corner entry with his RC213V, and has a decent shout for a podium finish in the 23-lap race. Crutchlow has consistently churned out competitive race laps, and although he was disappointed not to get a final fast run in, still stopped the clock in a best time of 1’47.843 to set up what will hopefully be a great race.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 5th (1’47.843)
“Obviously I’m disappointed because I felt I could easily have been on the front row today. I made a mistake under braking at the end of the session, but this is typical with the Honda at the moment. I was pushing so hard in the braking zone to make up time on the others, but that’s MotoGP. For sure I wasn’t going to get in front of Marc Marquez who took pole, but I should have been second. I was pushing to the limit and this is what happens.”
“The hope for tomorrow is that we are up there battling, but starting from the second row it is a bit more difficult. We have Dovizioso next to us and he always gets good starts, but he could hold us up in the race because he has such a fast bike out of the corners. You need to be able to push in the first few laps, but he might get in my way. I hope not!”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
93 takes pole 64: Marquez unstoppable at MotorLand Aragón
Repsol Honda rider equals pole position count record in Aragon, six tenths clear and ready for race day
The grey of Friday at MotorLand Aragon turned powder blue on Saturday, as qualifying day brought warmer temperatures and shining late September sun for the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon. Q2’s pre-session favourite for pole was unquestionably Marc Marquez after the Repsol Honda rider was fastest by some margin in both FP3 and FP4 on ominous form, and the number 93 turned promise into pole position in spectacular style to head the timesheets by an incredible gap of six tenths. Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) complete the front row as MotoGP™ gets back on their home turf.
FP4 saw PULL&BEAR Aspar rider Yonny Hernandez into the top ten, but the Colombian sadly wasn’t able to replicate the performance in Q1 as Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini duo Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl joined the South American in the battle for graduation to Q2. Petrucci eventually topped the session, with Bradl impressing as the German got an Aprilia through to Q2 for the second successive race after Bautista managed the same at Misano last time out. Alex Lowes (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), replacing injured Bradley Smith for the third time in a row, had a crash in FP3 and subsequently decided to stay off track on Saturday afternoon – with a decision on whether to race left for Sunday morning.
With Q2 underway Marquez hit first, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) slotting into P2 early on and reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) suddenly pulling a laptime out the bag to take a provisional front row. Looking to improve in the second run, Repsol Honda rider Marquez’ first flying run proved to set his fastest time – just shy of a 1:46 lap of the 5.1km venue.
As the second run got underway, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) leapt up into P2 before former teammate Cal Crutchlow lost his Honda into Turn 1 in the first high profile crash of the session. It was then Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) who moved up into second, as Friday’s fastest Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) suffered a crash soon after Crutchlow and saw his session come to an equally early end.
The last minute drama wasn’t over there, as Lorenzo again improved his laptime in the final minutes to knock Dovizioso back off the front row, completing the all-Spanish top three on home turf behind Marquez and Viñales.
‘DesmoDovi’ finally heads up row two ahead of late crasher Crutchlow, with Movistar Yamaha MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi further down the timesheets in P6 to complete the second row, despite proving fastest Yamaha on Friday. The ‘Doctor’ had a difficult day at the office, including a highside crash at Turn 9 in FP3.
Pedrosa starts from seventh after his crash in qualifying – one place higher than his grid position ahead of victory at Misano World Circuit – with second Suzuki rider Aleix Espargaro behind the ‘Baby Samurai’ in P8. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) just beat teammate Scott Redding to the third row, with the Pramac pair pushing Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) down to P11. Stefan Bradl (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the Q2 graduates in P12.
Racing gets underway at 14:00 local time at MotorLand Aragon, as Marquez prepares to paint the town red – and increase that 43 point lead as the flyways beckon on the road to Valencia.
Lowes vs Alex Marquez for Aragon pole
Home rider denied P1 by half a tenth as the Brit bounces back from Misano in style
Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) had a tough weekend on the Riviera di Rimini, but the Moto2™ title contender shone once again at MotorLand as he denied provisional polesitter Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) in the final minutes of qualifying. Marquez, who was fastest in FP3, was 0.054 back on the Brit by the end of the session, with the two men proving the class of the field. Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) completes the front row in another great showing of pace from the Japanese Dutch GP winner.
Brno victor Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP) heads up row two, in front of reigning champion and points leader Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport). Zarco, who has been on the pace throughout the weekend but not the pacesetter, did qualify well ahead of nearest championship rival Rins – who lines up in P13. FP3 also saw Rins struggle, ending that session in P20 and losing the front end in the final minutes. With only a 3-point gap to points leader and reigning champion Zarco, the Spaniard will be looking to catapult forward off the line.
Lorenzo Baldassari (Forward Racing Team) qualified sixth after his recent Misano win, ahead of second Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli. Morbidelli will, however, be forced to drop a place following a penalty for a Friday incident with Leopard Racing’s Miguel Oliveira. Tom Luthi will be the man to gain, as the Garage Plus Interwetten rider set the eighth fastest lap in QP.
Axel Pons (AGR Team) had an impressive home qualifying session in P9, with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the top ten.
Moto2™ line up to do battle at 12:20 local time at MotorLand Aragon, with every point and every lap now critical as the title fight closes up and the remaining rounds count down.
Bastianini on pole for Moto3™ MotorLand showdown
Binder qualifies P7 ahead of his first title chance as key rivals top the timesheets
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) took pole position in Moto3™ at MotorLand Aragon, as the Italian ended the session two tenths above championship rival Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0). MotorLand marks the first opportunity for Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Brad Binder to take the title as the South African is 106 points clear at the top of the table, but he had a more difficult session in Saturday afternoon to post the seventh quickest time. Bastianini and Navarro are the closest men to Binder in the standings, and with a 1-2 in qualifying start their final defense on a good footing.
Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV) set the third fastest lap of the session but must take a 3-place grid penalty, with Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA Racing Team) putting in the fourth fastest effort of QP but similarly affected with a four place penalty on race day. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) will be a big winner once penalties are applied to those on the front rows, as the home rookie qualified in fifth and will be set to move up the grid. Philipp Oettl (Schedl Racing GP) also looks set to benefit after setting the sixth fastest lap of Saturday’s qualifying session.
Less than a tenth back from title hopeful Binder was FP3’s fastest man Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing), as the Frenchman made good on promise shown in practice to get back towards the front in Aragon – having previously won at the venue in the FIM CEV Repsol. Honda Team Asia rider Hiroki Ono was ninth quickest in a solid top ten performance, with that top ten completed by Dutch rookie Bo Bendsneyder for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Jorge Martin (Gaviota Mahindra Aspar) is back on track after missing the San Marino GP through injury and impressed at home to go eleventh quickest, with Austrian GP winner Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) suffering at MotorLand in P27 at the flag. Mallorcan Mir did the double at MotorLand in the FIM CEV Repsol in 2015, but has been suffering with a fever in his rookie Moto3™ world championship appearance at the circuit; not getting out on track Friday.
The lower class get out on track to race on Sunday at 11:00 local time, with Binder balanced on the edge of glory. With 106 points of advantage, the South African need not win the race to take the crown – that pressure remains on Navarro and Bastianini.