Once again today at Austin the new MotoGP qualifying format worked brilliantly as spectators enjoyed the show and the riders gave it their all throughout every minute of both sessions. The pace was frenetic in Q1 as the riders went in search of those valuable last two slots for the second session. Although the battle for pole seemed to be an exclusive affair between Márquez and Pedrosa, elsewhere there were plenty of intriguing contests going down. Ultimately Marquez would emerge with the top spot and the rookie is favourite to win Sunday’s race, with an all Spanish front row completed by Pedrosa and Lorenzo. The three titans all chase one crown. The tight times mean the race is hard to call, but Marquez appears to have the edge.
What seems far more obvious is how likely Aleix Espargaró is to be the top CRT, after his excellent ninth place grid finish. The POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider appears to have no limits, repeating his Qatar feat of making it through to Q2 with ease. Setting the fastest Q1 time took him through to play with the big boys. In the final 15 minutes of MotoGP action on Saturday the Catalan set down a superb 2’05.389 marker, a time which would see him take ninth on the starting grid – just 0.009s off Rossi in eighth. From the third row he will try to fight with the Factory riders but his main objective is to stay ahead of the CRT pack. His main rival in that battle is likely to be his teammate Randy De Puniet. The Frenchman was one of the stronger riders in Q1 and almost made it through to the later session with his colleague, a hard braking corner on a flying lap just hindering him. Randy is constantly improving at the American circuit and hopes to fight for top CRT spot on Sunday.
9th Aleix Espargaró 2.05.389:
“I’m really satisfied with the way things turned out in qualifying today and in the last half hour of practice I did a ten lap race simulation on used tyres. That went really well and I felt so smooth, with an incredible pace in the low 2’06 region, which was very good. Then in qualifying I was able top ut in some realy fast times with an almost empty tank and the job we’re doing is great, to be so close to the official bikes. With the chassis we have an almost perfect set up and that means I can ride confidently. I’ve been working with this team for a year and a half now and the teamwork is amazing, we’re getting the absolute maximum from our material. I usually like faster circuits but with this bike I’m able to ride well on hard braking sections here. The first five laps will be crucial in the race and I don’t want to let the factory bikes get away. Although they are fighting a different battle we will aim to be on top in the CRTs.”
14th Randy De Puniet 2.07.129:
“In final free practice I tried my second bike and was happy with the way I was riding. Throughout the day corner entry was getting easier, the balance is improving and I’m turning much better. I really pushed to try and make Q2 but just overdid it and rode off line. That was a shame as I think I could have improved. Overall I’m pleased with the progress made throughout the weekend and I’m gaining confidence. We’ll work on braking during the warm up. Aleix is riding so well, but I’m going to try and catch him as best CRT.”
Power Electronics Aspar Press Release
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