FIM Moto3 World Championship Jerez, Spain April 28, 2012 Qualifying Results (wet conditions): 1. Alex RINS, Spain (SUTER HONDA), 1:57.507 2. Sandro CORTESE, Germany (Ajo KTM), 1:57.519 3. Miguel OLIVEIRA, Portugal (SUTER HONDA), 1:57.975 4. Alexis MASBOU, France (HONDA), 1:58.301 5. Jakub KORNFEIL, Czech Republic (FTR HONDA), 1:58.438 6. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:58.793 7. Isaac VIÑALES, Spain (FTR HONDA), 1:58.911 8. Arthur SISSIS, Australia (Ajo KTM), 1:59.023 9. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (FTR HONDA), 1:59.101 10. Romano FENATI, Italy (FTR HONDA), 1:59.155 More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing: Viñales will start from the third row after completing a qualifying practice influenced by the changing conditions Jerez de la Frontera, 28 April 2012. It was not an easy qualify practice for the Moto3 riders. The morning rain gave way to a faint sun about the time the training practice came to an end even though the asphalt was wet when it started. As expected the conditions on the track kept on changing as time went by and although wet tyres were undoubtedly the right choice to make when the practice started this option soon proved to be questionable. Maverick managed to remain among the best riders throughout the training practice despite the constant changes in the leaderboard as the track was drying off. However with only a few minutes to go a mostly dry line had appeared and dry tyres became an option again – although a risky bet. Maverick eventually stuck to the wet tyres and snatched the ninth spot on the grid. He will remain focused on tomorrow´s race and above all the world championship. 25 MAVERICK VIÑALES (9º 1.59.101 +1.594): “The climatology has made the training practice very difficult for everybody. The track was wet when it started and it became almost dry when it ended. It has been difficult. We should have opted for the dry tyres for the final laps but I decided to stick to the wet tyres because I was not sure they were really appropriate and moreover it was a risky option. And it actually paid off for the riders who made this choice. Anyway we have to bear in mind that we must act really cautiously. I have got the right feeling with the bike and I am also feeling comfortable riding fast but if it rains tomorrow we will ride carefully. The world championship has only just begun.” More, from a press release issued by Bankia Aspar Team: BANKIA ASPAR TEAM CONTINUE HARD WORK IN JEREZ Héctor Faubel and Alberto Moncayo not quite able to improve in difficult conditions. Debuting rider Álex Rins took pole for the Spanish GP at Jerez in the Moto3 category. It was a day in which three home riders took first place in qualifying, the first time that Spain had experienced a qualifying treble since the 2011 Czech Republic GP. Aspar rider Nico Terol was one of the trio on that occasion. The Kalex chassis and KTM engine have shown to be strong at Jerez and in Moto3 so far this year, and qualifying was no exception. KTM rider Danny Kent hit the top speed on Saturday in Spain. The BANKIA team consider their engine to be performing well, although an exhaust change has brought on problems. Various solutions have been attempted over the weekend in order to improve the bike, with one eye on collecting data for work on a new chassis. The BANKIA riders had contrasting weather conditions to contend with in the morning and afternoon sessions. The morning was wet and rainy, with Héctor Faubel placing ninth in the session (1.9s off the fastest time) and Alberto Moncayo twenty-seventh. Track temperatures never went above 14ºC. In the afternoon the track started drying, although the majority of the field kept wet tyres on at the beginning of the run. In the final minutes of qualifying, some riders decided to go for slick tyres. The hope for tomorrow is to avoid the middling conditions experienced in qualifying and either have a fully wet or fully dry race. The BANKIA riders clearly favour the wet this weekend. 16th Héctor Faubel (1.59.925s, 16 laps): “My leg is still hurting a little, but I can put up with it. We are more competitive in the wet, which was shown in the morning practice session; when the track dried out we experienced more problems. There has been a small improvement if we take Qatar as the starting point, but I am hoping that tomorrow the weather is either fully dry or fully wet. I am going to sit down with my team and evaluate the situation ahead of tomorrow’s race.” 20th Alberto Moncayo (2.01.153s, 17 laps): “I made a small mistake in the morning session, at the same corner where Héctor crashed yesterday. We aren’t feeling comfortable here and these things happen when you don’t have your limits clear. I don’t think my fitness will be affected tomorrow, but I will go to the Clinica Mobile in the morning so that they can make sure I am in the best condition possible for lasting the race. I still don’t feel at ease here and we don’t know why, which isn’t a situation that benefits us. I can say that the bike is performing adequately, but it is I who is not feeling comfortable. We aren’t at the same level as the bike right now and we have to recognize that. We shall see what tomorrow’s race is like, as they say that it is going to rain.” More, from a press release issued by Team Italia: MotoGp Moto3 Gran Premio bwin de Espana Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) 27-29 aprile 2012 Weather: cloudy/rain Temperature:17° MotoGP Moto3: weather spoils session as Fenati and Tonucci qualify in 4th and 8th row respectively In Moto3, a damp track and difficult conditions characterized both the last free practice and qualifying session after the morning rain, making it difficult to find a good setup. In these conditions, “Fenny” tried to use slick tires at the end of qualifiers, posting a 1’59″155 (10th best) that grants him a start from 4th row. “Tonu” experienced a highside due to the wet track and qualified in 24th position with a 2’01″364. Alex Rins seized the pole position with a 1’57″507, preceding Cortese (+0.012), Oliveira (+0.468), and Masbou (+0.794). Romano Fenati (Team Italia FMI FTR Honda#5) 14 laps, 1’59″155 “The qualifiers went well overall, but I was slowed down a little bit by the track conditions. The rear tire slid a lot, but my team was great at fixing the problem. I hope to get a good start tomorrow and climb back right away. My goal is to score good points.” Alessandro Tonucci (Team Italia FMI FTR Honda#19) 15 laps, 2’01″364 “I was pretty fast in the morning on wet conditions, but in the afternoon the track was a bit of a mix, being dry in some spots and damp in others. When we tried to use slick tires the surface was still humid and I crashed. I hit my right shoulder pretty hard, but I don’t think it will be a problem for tomorrow’s race. I hope it will be a dry race.”