GREAT QUALIFIERS FOR ALEIX: SEVENTH PLACE TIME AND THIRD ROW

LORENZO PUTS IN IMPORTANT MILES WITH THE RS-GP

With great qualifiers, foreshadowed by the good performance demonstrated in all the practice sessions, Aleix rode his Aprilia RS-GP to the third row with the seventh best time. Times are extremely close, as they had been throughout the weekend, so it looks like it will be a heated race all the way to the chequered flag. A flag which, if the weather forecast is accurate, should be flying in bright sunlight, decidedly abnormal for this time of year.

The weather conditions didn’t seem to help Lorenzo Savadori at all as he looked for answers to the changes in the setup that were intended to improve his feeling during braking. In any case, he continued to progress and that would have been more evident if a worsening of the track in the final stages of Q1 hadn’t undermined his last flying lap.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I was worried when I saw the rain this morning before FP3, because I knew I could battle to go straight through to Q2. Fortunately, the track started drying off toward the end of the session and I was one of the few who improved - just one tenth, but enough to make it into the top 10. In qualifying things weren’t exactly simple either. With the first tyre, the asphalt was still damp, but fortunately with the second one, I was able to do a good time. Tomorrow I expect to see a lot of riders very close to one another. Nobody seems capable of getting away at the front except maybe Franco and Taka. I want to start well and stay with the group. We lose a bit in acceleration, but I think I’ll be able to stay in the game for a good placement."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"Another strange day in terms of weather - not exactly easy conditions. The damp track kept us from pushing to the limit, so I wasn’t able to see how the feeling is with the front during braking and going into turns, which is what we are trying to improve. In Q1, the asphalt got worse just as I was doing a good lap - a pity. Tomorrow the weather will change for the umpteenth time, with sunshine and higher temperatures. My goal is to maintain a consistent pace in the race and to gain as much experience as possible."