“Fabio Quartararo is the man to beat, we are not far from Francesco Bagnaia”he said Aleix Espargarò at the end of the MotoGP Qualifying in Spain in Jerez. The Aprilia rider closes the first and is a candidate to be the third wheel between the two riders who dueled for a long time at the end of 2021 when El Diablo was able to manage his advantage by becoming world champion with two races to spare at Misano, taking advantage of the occasion the fall of Bagnaia when he was leader of the race.
“Bagnaia’s fastest lap was not equal, we could perhaps have done a tenth or a tenth and a half better, but we have a good pace”the words of Diego Gubellini, chief engineer of Fabio Quartararo. High temperatures are expected in the race tomorrow and the expected pair of tires is a hard one at the front and an average one at the rear. The reigning world champion in PL4 started with a pair of hard new ones keeping the pace of 38 ″ 0 for three laps, then mounted a new midsize at the rear continuing with the same tire at the front.
The Frenchman’s pace was fast and steady, with seven practically consecutive passes on 37 ″ 7. Nobody was at his level, Bagnaia started the PL4 with a hard front already ‘burdened’ by six laps and a new average at the rear. In the first run his three best passes were in 38 ″ 2, 38 ″ 0 and 37 ″ 8. Then he stopped in the pits and went out with the same tires that at that point had the front one 12 laps and the rear 6 laps. Immediately out of the pits he signed two 37 ″ 5 consecutive which were the fastest laps of the session, but subsequently rising to 38 ″ 2 and 38 ″ 4 following slowing down laps.
Single run for Aleix Espargarò who started with used tires for six laps, hard at the front and medium at the rear. The Aprilia rider completed 14 laps with two laps on a 37 ″ 9 as the best time. Alex Rins, leader of the World Championship together with Quartararo, will start tomorrow from the fifth row and has worked in PL4 with more than worn tires. With a medium rear tire with 25 laps behind him, he managed to record a 38 ″ 2 and therefore is a candidate for another race in comeback.
#MotoGP #Race #pace #analysis #Bagnaia #fast #tires #FormulaPassionit