More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Gardner lays down a lap record as Diggia and Bezzecchi home in
The Championship leader takes pole in Jerez, with the front row split by just 0.086 and Lowes crashing out
Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) may have only described his pole position lap at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España as “decent”, but the 1:40.667 is actually a new lap record at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto and secures the Australian his first pole of the season. It was close though, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) just 0.071 off and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) within 0.086 as they complete the front row. Polesitter in the first three races, Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out but will start the fourth showdown of the season from fifth.
Q1 saw rookie Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) take to the top and the American moved through along with teammate Marcos Ramirez, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) as the Italian denied compatriot Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) on his last push for the top.
So the stage was set for Q2, and the pace was hot from the off as Gardner slammed in a 1:40.667 to lead the way. Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi got within a tenth, but the Australian held on at the top as the clock ticked down. Some drama then hit for Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) as he slid off, although he was able to get back out, before Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) also hit the deck but was also able to rejoin.
Meanwhile, red sectors started to appear for Lowes. Two tenths under in the third split, the Brit was making a march for the top – but a bobble at the final corner put paid to that. He did improve but stayed fourth, and not long after suffered more drama as he crashed at Turn 2, out the fight. And that was all she wrote, with the front row unchallenged and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then pushing Lowes down a place further to fifth.
That means Championship leader Gardner takes his first pole of the season and becomes the first rider other than Lowes to start from the front this year. ‘Diggia’ takes second, with Bezzecchi back in the mix in a big way on Saturday to take a front row in third and within 0.086 of the top. Raul Fernandez is fourth, ahead of Lowes who is at least in sight of some of his biggest rivals. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completes the second row.
Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) took P7 ahead of Roberts and rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the top ten despite an earlier crash. Canet, another crasher, took P11 ahead of Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up).
Remy Gardner: “I guess I could say I know this track really well! I’ve done a few laps around here. Everyone’s fast here so it’s always tough in Jerez, but I feel good, the bike was working pretty well from FP1, there wasn’t much to play around with on the bike side. The lap was decent, wasn’t perfect but enough to get me on pole so I’m happy.”
More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:
Italtrans Racing Team to start the Spanish Grand Prix from rows 3rd and 8th.
Fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship at Jerez de la Frontera with the Spanish Grand Prix.
Italtrans Racing Team is preparing for a new challenge aware of being among the rulers of this season after the positive experience in Portugal, with Joe Roberts close to the podium and Lorenzo Dalla Porta author of a great comeback race ended on the verge of the top ten.
Among the best riders of the weekend, Roberts went straight to Q2 thanks to the excellent times recorded in the free practices: unfortunately, right on the lap in which he was signing the pole position, he crashed at turn 6 just five minutes from the end of the session. He went back to the pit lane and qualifying thanks to the excellent job of the team, but he could not improve his best lap of 1’41”235, finishing 8th.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta didn’t make it thru Q1 and tomorrow will start the Spanish GP from the 23rd position on the grid with a best time of 1’41”636.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
23° | 1’41”636
“Unfortunately, I made some mistakes and tomorrow I will start from the back of the grid. The bike has a good set-up and from yesterday to today I have taken a step forward. The pace is good and I can fight for the points. Let’s look forward to the race”.
Joe Roberts
8° | 1’41”35
“The first part of the day was really good and the pace was really strong. Unfortunately, in qualifying I lose the front and I made a small mistake in the lap I was going faster. We had a good race starting from this position last weekend and so I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow”.
Giovanni Sandi, Technical Director
“We are confident because we are performing well and have a good race pace, definitely among the best. Unfortunately, the crash affected Joe’s qualifying and we didn’t have enough time to get back in the best shape. Lorenzo always makes a few too many mistakes in practice, but he can have a good race tomorrow”.
More, from a press release issued by American Racing Team:
Ramirez and Beaubier will start midfield for Spanish Grand Prix
American Racing teammates topped Moto2 Qualifying 1 at Jerez
CADIZ, Spain (May 1, 2021) — Marcos Ramirez and Cameron Beaubier will start Sunday’s Grand Prix of Spain, Round 4 of the FIM Moto2 World Championship, from the fifth and sixth rows of the grid after qualifying 14th and 16th.
The American Racing teammates have shown steady improvement at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, which is located in the southernmost region of Spain, known as Andalucía. The track is 2.75 miles in length, with 13 corners, eight of which are right handers.
Ramirez hails from the nearby coastal town of Conil de la Frontera. After the opening practice on Friday, he and Beaubier were 24th and 23rd overall. The 23-year-old Spaniard was quicker in the second 40-minute session, while Beaubier crashed, unhurt. They ended the day 23rd and 27th.
Ramirez also led the way in FP3, finishing 19th; Beaubier was 25th. The five-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion turned the tables in Qualifying 1, topping the 15-minute session with a 1:41.308 lap. Ramirez was second, with a nearly identical time, 1:41.351.
“Things started to click this morning, especially for Cameron,” said American Racing Race Director John Hopkins. “He and his new crew chief, Stuart Shenton, got the bike working well, and Cameron went out and did what he knows how to do.”
In Qualifying 2, neither Beaubier nor Ramirez was able to match his Q1 times. Both sessions were run in warm, dry conditions. Dunlop introduced a softer-compound rear tire at Jerez, the use of which only was permitted in practice and qualifying.
KTM Ajo rider Remy Gardner earned pole position with a new lap record, 1:40.667.
Shenton replaces Luca Capocchiano. The highly experienced Grand Prix engineer has worked with Americans Freddie Spencer, Kevin Schwantz and Hopkins, among other riders. Shenton spent 19 years at Suzuki, retiring at the end of the 2010 season.
“Stuart was my crew chief throughout my entire career at Suzuki MotoGP,” said Hopkins. “It is really cool having him back. It is a good feeling.”
Beaubier and Ramirez delivered their best race results of the season, ninth and 15th, two weeks ago in Portugal. The pair intend to improve on those performances for Los Angeles-based American Racing in Sunday’s 23-lap Moto2 race.
About the American Racing Team
The American Racing Team is owned by Avner Kass and Eitan Butbul and competes in the FIM MotoGP World Championship. Based in California, the team fields two riders in the Moto2 class: American Cameron Beaubier (No. 6) and Spaniard Marcos Ramirez (No. 42). American Racing has grown under Butbul’s guidance and is a respected member of the MotoGP paddock.
