Ducati Gresini team
The Portuguese Team Gresini MotoGP ended in Q1 on Saturday with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini this time limited by too variable weather. Still pouring rain in the morning, followed by mixed conditions in Fp4 and finally a Q1 started with wet tires and ended with 4 slick laps. Bravo Fabio Di Giannantonio to choose the dry compound almost immediately and try the track with slicks for the first time. A few patrolling laps to then find a good time trial and a 16th final position. Very unfortunate Enea Bastianini who, with a strategy similar to his teammate, crashes in the last lap launched when the first sector saw him with a large margin (-0.360s) for a comfortable access to Q2. Unhorsed from his Ducati at turn 5, the leader of the standings suffered a strong blow to his right wrist that will not exclude his participation in tomorrow’s GP (departure at 13:00 local time).
15º FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO # 49 (1’49.639s): “We saved the day because in the wet honestly I am not at all and between yesterday and today we were unable to improve my feeling also due to constantly changing conditions. In qualifying we had to make a clear choice, conservative with the wet tire or try the slick tire and in the end we were rewarded. We hope to race in dry conditions tomorrow, even if never having raced here with a motogp will still be an adventure ”.
18º ENEA BASTIANINI # 23 (1’50.618s): “We took a bad hit and it’s a shame. We entered with the idea of doing a lap time with the wet tire and we succeeded. Then I saw that the track was improving and I decided to try the slicks. I wasn’t able to get them up to temperature and on the last lap I was pushing hard enough, but I exaggerated. My right wrist hurts quite a bit, nothing is broken I’m sure. So tomorrow on the attack“.
Ducati Pramac Team
Johann Zarco conquers his first pole position of the season, and takes Pramac Racing to parc fermè for the fifth consecutive time on qualifying day. Excellent performance by the French driver who, after gaining direct access to Q2 on the last qualifying lap, sets a time of 1: 42.00 and takes his Desmosedici to pole position. A more complicated Saturday for Jorge Martin who, after the three free practice sessions, is forced to take part in Q1. The Spaniard lacks access to q2 by less than 7 tenths. The time of 1: 47.936 earned him thirteenth position on the grid.
1st JOHANN ZARCO: “I didn’t expect to make pole position, it was definitely a nice surprise. The sensations are good, the feeling is continuing to improve and today’s pole is proof of that ”.
13 ° JORGE MARTIN: “Not the result I was hoping for, I’m sure I have the pace to do better but the asphalt was drying during Q1 and I couldn’t do what I wanted. However, I remain confident for tomorrow and with a great desire to do well “.
Ducati VR46 Mooney team
Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini are among the protagonists of the qualifying Saturday for the GP of Portugal. Both in Q2, the Mooney VR46 Racing Team drivers sign the best qualifying of the year for the team and will start tomorrow’s race from the second and third row respectively (01.00 pm, 02.00 pm CET ed). Very fast both yesterday and today in FP3 in wet conditions (1’51.136, P7 overall at the end of free practice ed) and capable of a good pace in FP4 (P3, 1’51.591 ed), Marco hits the direct access to Q2 and he signed an excellent 1’42.716 in the dry, a time that earned him sixth place just half a second behind the front row. As a rookie in Motogp, this is the best result for him in qualifying. Satisfied with the steps forward compared to yesterday, but forced to move to Q1 (P16 after FP3, 1’51.709 ed) where he closes in second place risking the dry tires in his last attempt (1’47.199 ed), Luca passes under the checkered flag with a best lap time of 1’43.179. He will start from the eighth square of the grid.
8th LUCA MARINI: “What a gamble in Q1 with the dry tire even if for me it has always been the right choice. It wasn’t easy, but the more the laps went by, the more confident I was driving. I warmed up the tires and tried it on the last lap. I’m happy with Q2 anyway, maybe I expected to start a few positions later. Let’s keep working: the key to the race will be the warm up to set the electronics and tires. What a great pleasure to have Vale in the garage: he has an experience and an eye without equal “.
6th MARCO BEZZECCHI: “I am really happy with the qualification and in general the feeling both in the wet and in mixed conditions, a characteristic of mine already from the lower classes. Too bad about the crash this morning, I went a little over the limit. The team did a great job, having Vale in the garage gave me an extra boost and we can take a final step on the data to be competitive even in the dry ”.
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