The rain showers that fell yesterday during the Moto3 free practice proved to be a mere warning shot of the onslaught that hit the Sachsenring circuit today, leaving standing water all over the track for qualifying practice. The conditions gave the opportunity for some new names to challenge at the top as the likes of Miller, Kornfeil, Martin and Kent all mounted a challenge for pole position but in the end it was the experience of home favourite Cortese that shone through, the German pulling out an incredible 1.4 seconds over the rest of the field on his final lap to send the local crowd into raptures.
It was a disappointing session for the Mapfre Aspar Team following an otherwise positive weekend here, with both Héctor Faubel and Alberto Moncayo missing out in the lottery for grid positions. Faubel started the day strongly, lapping consistently inside the top ten this morning but an engine problem contributed to a difficult afternoon session that saw him slip to twelfth place. Moncayo on the other hand made gradual improvements to join his team-mate on the fourth row, battling the effects of a virus as well as those of the rainstorms to qualify thirteenth.
12th Héctor Faubel 1.45.372 (20 laps): “We have been up front in every dry session so far this weekend and we were hoping for the same thing in the wet but it didn't happen. I felt comfortable at the start of the session but had to come in because the engine temperature was too low. Then when I went back out it started to rain even harder until luckily it started to ease off towards the end. I pushed really hard in the last five minutes and on a couple of laps I was within the pole time over the first two sectors but we didn't managed to put a full good lap together, partly because of the traffic and partly the conditions. I was hoping for better than a fourth row start but our pace is good and if we can get a decent start we can be fighting at the front.”
13th Alberto Moncayo 1.45.373 (17 laps): “I have been struggling with a virus all weekend and I felt it out on track today. I want to take qualifying step by step because there was so much water on track. We changed the rear suspension setting halfway through the session and it didn't work as we'd hoped so tomorrow we start from the fifth row alongside Héctor and it promises to be a tough race. Hopefully we can help each other out. I will get a good rest tonight and hopefully tomorrow we can be back fighting for the positions where we belong.”
Aspar Mapfre Press Release
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