Quartararo bounces back from crash to score Aragon pole

2020 MotoGP Round Eleven – Aragon

MotoGP Qualifying Report

Despite an FP3 crash leaving him riding through the pain barrier, Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) managed to snatch pole position from Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) at the Gran Premio Michelin de Aragon, the Frenchman pipping the Spaniard by just 0.046 for his tenth MotoGP pole. Yamaha led the way on Saturday once again, but Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took third and only two tenths off the top, with the Brit back on the front row for the first time since Austin 2019.

Q1 started with enough drama already; not a single Ducati having made it through automatically by virtue of combined practice times. So it was going to be tight, and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci were running in tandem – Dovizioso ahead –for much of the session. Petrucci took to the top first and last, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) then ruining the Ducati Team party as the Aussie moved up to second. And that was it – Dovizioso was out, 13th on the grid and exceedingly unhappy about it.

As Q2 got underway, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was the first to set a laptime but that was immediately beaten by Miller, a 1:47.657 coming in from the Australian to go top of the pile in the early stages. Quartararo slotted into P2 early doors before Morbidelli then snatched P2 back – and almost went top. Just 0.002 separated the number 21 from Miller, but there were plenty of red sectors lighting up the timing screens. Quartararo was one cause, shooting up to provisional pole, and following the Yamaha on track, Miller also improved. He stayed P2, but it was just a tenth splitting the pair.

Morbidelli then made it a Petronas 1-2 again, and again with less than a tenth in it, as Viñales slotted into P4 after the first set of flying laps. Crutchlow was in fifth, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) sitting on the outside of the provisional second row. But that was all going to change as the riders slotted in fresh rubber, ready for their second runs…

First up was Viñales, lapping alone, and he was 0.021 under Quartararo’s time in Sector 3. It only got better from there as he then leapfrogged his fellow Yamaha to take provisional pole by 0.171, taking over at the top. Crutchlow then crossed the line and moved up to P3 to shove Morbidelli down to head the second row, but the Italian was on a great lap and only 0.020 off in Sector 3. However, he then lost time down the back straight and despite setting a personal best time, the number 21 stayed P4. Viñales was then setting an almost identical lap time to his current P1 best, and the number 12 came across the line to go every so slightly quicker – but it was ultimately just 0.003 gained.

However, Quartararo had one more lap. The Frenchman was just through his first sector and up, and he kept it as he headed through Sector 2 0.073 faster than Viñales. Could he hold onto it? It was the latter half of the lap where Quartararo really gained time. Heading onto the almost 1km long back straight, the title chase leader was over a tenth and a half under Viñales’ best and despite losing over a tenth in the final split, the number 20 just kept it together to take pole by 0.046 seconds after yet another phenomenal final flying lap.

In terms of the front two rows, that was all she wrote so it’s a Yamaha 1-2 as Quartararo digs deep to claim Saturday honours, but Viñales has every chance of fighting for victory from second. Crutchlow makes a welcome return to the front row as the British rider finds form despite still nursing his arm injury, the LCR Honda man finishing 0.229 adrift of pole. Morbidelli was just 0.012 shy of the front row but it was a good day for the Italian and Yamaha on a circuit that hasn’t necessarily suited the YZR-M1’s characteristics in the past… ominous signs for race day?

After graduating from Q1, Miller claims a solid P5 to fly the Ducati flag in Aragon, the Australian fuming after his FP3 time – that was good enough for the top 10 – got chalked off due to Yellow Flag infringements, but amends made in the afternoon. Championship contender Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), meanwhile, will line-up in his best grid position since the Styrian GP. Suzuki’s strength doesn’t usually show on a Saturday afternoon compared to race day, so the signs are good for Mir and the Mayorcan should be one to watch on Sunday.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) set his personal best time on his final flying lap, and the Japanese rider ended up less than a tenth off Mir’s time to spearhead Petrucci and Aleix Espargaro on Row 3. The latter, younger brother Pol Espargaro and Repsol Honda Team’s Alex Marquez had a bit of an incident in Q2 as the Aprilia, Honda and KTM all ended up sandwiched together at the final corner.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins completes the top 10 on home turf, with Alex Marquez cementing his best MotoGP qualifying result in P11, and after heading through to Q2 for the first time. After the incident earlier in the session and a little damage to his KTM, Pol Espargaro had to settle for P12.

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Fabio Quartararo – P1

“I was sore on the right from yesterday, and now on the left from today. I’m not feeling great, but on the bike though it is not too bad. Normally the new tyres are good, but today we had a big drop in grip with the rear and that was really strange. The team will analyse this for sure and try to figure out why. I’m really happy though as all through FP4 I was feeling okay, I was able to do a long run and I have the pole position. Let’s hope for a great race tomorrow; we still need to work on the pace, but we’re not too far off what we want. I think starting later tomorrow is the correct thing to do because it is really cold in the morning, starting later is best for the safety of all riders. I think we can fight for the podium, but we need to see tomorrow what happens.”

Maverick Vinales – P2

“I‘m quite happy, honestly. The lap times I set today I did while riding alone, which is good. I was feeling a little bit better with the first tyre. On that tyre I could set my best first sector. I also ran into some traffic in sector 3, so I couldn‘t really set my very best lap today but, anyway, I‘m really happy. I couldn‘t ask for much more than this. The rhythm is good and I feel incredible, this is the most important. I‘m enjoying the laps. Aragon is a track I really like, so tomorrow I will go for the maximum. For tomorrow we are going to try to improve a little bit more and try to be more consistent, but I‘m very pleased about the first two days here. I think we can do a good job tomorrow.”

Cal Crutchlow – P3

“It’s obviously great to be on the front row here in Aragon for the first of the two Grand Prix. I was close last week to getting on the front row so to back it up here in Aragon is good. The team did a good job, we worked hard over the weekend and now we need to prepare well for the race, because it’s going to be a long race with a lot of rear tyre wear that we’re going to have to manage. We’ll try our best to do that tomorrow.”

Franco Morbidelli – P4

“I was hoping to be on the front row, but maybe we didn’t use the right front tyre in qualifying. Starting on the second row is still a positive thing and we can aim to have a good race from here. We have been able to try many things today, which means we have a good amount of data to analyse to help us make the right choice tomorrow. At the moment I prefer to run the soft tyres, but we will see what is best for the race and look at the other options available. From today’s pace and the weekend so far I think we have a good chance of being on the podium tomorrow.”

Jack Miller – P5

“I’m quite happy for today, it’s never easy to switch from Q1 to Q2, but we made a huge step forward during FP4 with the set-up. I have a good feeling with the bike and tomorrow we will start from the second row, so I can’t complain.”

Joan Mir – P6

“I’m really happy about the work that the team and I did today. We took some steps forward compared to yesterday; I feel great with the bike and my race pace is strong. I also had an improvement in terms of qualifying, which is something I really wanted to do. So I’ll start from the second row tomorrow and I hope to continue with my feeling and see what I can do in the race.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P7

“It was a bit of a difficult qualifying (Q2) session because our first time attack was not the best performance and I couldn’t make a good lap time. In the second one I was really close to the limit but on our last lap we did the best time and P7 is a good position. We just missed the second row, but many races I didn’t make it into the top 10 in qualifying so we made some steps forward. The feeling of the bike is good, but it will be difficult in the race to manage the tyres. In FP4 we kept the soft compound for the race laps and it was really difficult, but I think everyone had a similar problem and they struggled to keep the pace. But we have a chance and I’m confident on the bike, so we’ll try to make a good start and then I want to fight for the podium tomorrow. We’ll try our best and hopefully we can finish in the podium positions.”

Danilo Petrucci – P8

“It was a pretty positive qualifying although we couldn’t repeat in Q2 the time we got in Q1. Unfortunately, we are still struggling to manage well the rear, and we have not found the ideal setup for the bike yet, so tomorrow morning we will have to work to try to find a good solution. It will be a difficult race tomorrow, but at least our starting position is not so bad”.

Aleix Espargaro – P9

“We do well here – that’s no surprise – but I also expected something more. Unfortunately, in qualifying I had to slow down to avoid Alex Márquez on what could have been a good lap. It’s a shame since it was important to start as far forward as possible on such an even playing field. In any case, I’m pleased with the setup, which lets me maintain a fast pace even on used tyres. We need to work on the character of the fresh engine I’m using. It provides a lot more power, but it is also a bit too aggressive. Aragón is definitely a good chance for us and, since we have to do two races here, we’ll try to get the most out of it.”

Alex Rins – P10

“FP4 today went really well and I focused a lot on being consistent and having a solid race pace, this paid off and I feel good with the bike. I struggled to get one hot lap in qualifying, but 10th on the grid is not too bad. Our bike works well here and if it’s a bit warmer tomorrow it could be even better.”

Alex Marquez – P11

“We have secured our best grid position of the year after coming directly to Q2, it was a good result as I have been feeling good here since the first session. In the Q2 session I was expecting a little more initial grip, we were looking for a bit more after FP4. But we have good race pace and we are starting from further ahead than in the last races so I think we can be fighting for the top ten. It’s going to be a long race so we really have to be careful and pay attention for the whole race. We keep making progress and we keep doing our work.”

Pol Espargaro – P12

“Today was going good until the qualifying. I took good time to set-up the session. I did not want to crash because the conditions were tricky and I wanted to do the fast lap in the second run. Everything was going very good until that last corner. It was a shame not to get on the second row. It should have been possible. We’ll need to check with Michelin and our technicians to see which will be our tire tomorrow but luckily we have quite a lot of info.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P13

“I am disappointed about how today’s qualifying went. After a difficult start of the weekend, with even a crash this morning, we had finally managed to find our way to do a good weekend. I felt good in Q1, I had managed to make a good lap time, and I thought I could do just as well in Q2. I was able to find a good pace, but starting from the fifth row tomorrow will be a huge limit considering the drop that the tyres will surely have tomorrow in the race”.

Brad Binder – P14

“I think I can sleep a whole lot better tonight because we definitely made a good step forward. It was a bit disappointing not to get into the Q2 but at the same time I’m happy because we made good progress. My team did a great job to make me a lot more comfortable on the bike. I want to try and have a good look through the data tonight for those last few improvements for the race tomorrow.Today was a great day even if the result does not show how good I feel. I’m going to give it a good go tomorrow and I’m looking to get in that top ten.”

Iker Lecuona – P15

“I’m really happy. In FP3 I struggled a little bit with the bike, it was difficult to use the extra grip of a new tyre. In FP4 we tried two different bikes and I felt good with one of them. In Qualifying I just tried to push as much as I can and I went out alone. In the end, I managed to do a 1:48.0, so it’s a very good lap time for me. Thanks to me team, they did a great job again and helped me a lot. We’ll see what we can achieve in tomorrow’s race.”

Pecco Bagnaia – P17

“I had a hard time today and start from the  seventeen position is not easy. Tomorrow we will try to do some changes during the warm up and trying to get  a satisfactory result. I have to commit myself to improve to ride  in these conditions as all the next races will take place in these temperatures.”

Miguel Oliveira – P18

“It has been a difficult Qualifying. I had the same issues as yesterday with a new tyre. I’ve had quite many difficulties to find traction on the track and in fact together with my team we tried many things to fix it, but unfortunately, it looks like the direction was not right. So we will try again tomorrow and hope for a good race.”

Bradley Smith – P19

“We found a good improvement today in terms of the bike’s balance. Working with the team, they implemented a few of my indications and we were able to make a step forward. Our starting position will penalise us tomorrow. I’ll have to get off the grid well when the lights go out and stay with the group. There are still some doubts where front tyre choice is concerned. The soft guarantees more grip, but I think I’ll opt for the stability the medium solution provides.”

Stefan Bradl – P21

“It’s a disappointing result because in Qualifying I couldn’t get one lap together, putting us in a really difficult position for the race tomorrow. We made some big changes to the bike this weekend to try and follow the direction that you need to make the most of the bike. I am still working on adapting my style for this. In FP4 we were consistent and our lap times were good so I am optimistic that we can gain some positions based on this tomorrow.”

MotoGP Qualifying Results

Moto2 Qualifying Report

Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) means business at MotorLand Aragon, and the Brit took his tenth Moto2 pole position at the track on Sunday with a lap record, beating Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) to the honour. Championship leader Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) starts seventh, with his closest challenger Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team VR46) in 12th – leaving Lowes and Bezzecchi with a real advantage heading into Sunday…

In Q1 it was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jorge Martin and Tetsuta Nagashima heading through on top, joined by Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as the four got ready to fight it out again for the top 18 positions on the grid, leaving behind a few surprises such as Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing). But the clock was reset, and it was go-time for Q2.

It was Di Giannantonio who came out the blocks fastest in the second part of qualifying. A 1:52.364 was a decent banker lap time but it was soon beaten by Championship leader Marini, with rookie Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing) then taking over at the top as he sat just behind Marini on track. Fortunes then favoured Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the British rider became the first ever Moto2™ rider to set a sub-1:52 at MotorLand Aragon, although the stunning lap was soon bettered by Diggia as the Italian took back to the top.

Out of nowhere, Bezzecchi then produced a sterling final sector to take provisional pole, making it an Italian 1-2 at the summit and Lowes lurking down in P10 with just three minutes to go. The number 22 was soon #OnIt though and at the third checkpoint, the Brit was a whopping four tenths quicker than Bezzecchi. Surely pole position was his with just the back straight and final two corners to navigate? Lowes flew across the line to do exactly that, but he did lose three tenths in the last split. Not that it matters though, the number 22 snatching P1 by 0.148.

No one else could challenge in the closing stages so Lowes will start from his first pole position since the 2016 Aragon GP – a race he went on to win. Bezzecchi will also be looking to close down the points gap from second, with Diggia completing the front row – his first since the 2019 San Marino GP. Dixon’s 1:51.999 was a firecracker of a time and yet, he’s not on the front row. Nevertheless, it’s a Moto2™ best qualifying for the sophomore who continues to show fine form. Lining up next to Dixon in P5 is another rider who claimed a career-best Moto2™ qualifying result – Ramirez. The Spaniard has been on form all weekend and will be hoping – at least – a top 10 challenge is on the cards.

Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) was also under the former lap record, but has to settle for P6. Spearheading Row 3 is Marini who gets bumped back after Lowes’ late lap, far from a disaster for the Italian but it looks like he has plenty of work on his hands to try and stop Lowes or Bezzecchi closing his Championship gap further. Q1 graduate Jorge Martin salvages a P8 starting slot after finishing Free Practice in P19, the Spaniard ahead of compatriot Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) as the duo round out the top 10.

Enea Bastiaini (Italtrans Racing Team) – the man second in the Championship – starts from his second-worst qualifying place of the season in P12, just behind 11th place Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing).

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto3

Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) backed up going fastest on Friday by taking a fourth pole position of the season at MotorLand Aragon, the Spaniard coming out on top in a duel with Le Mans winner Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) by just 0.059. The two were in a class of their own on Saturday, with Championship leader Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team Moto3) taking third to complete an all-KTM front row but over half a second back.

In Q1 there were a few key names looking to move through, including John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) as the two had laps cancelled late on in FP3 after Yellow Flags invalidated them- The two moved through behind Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) at the top of the session and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in second, with the clock was then reset and the four joining the rest fighting it out for the top 18 places on the grid.

CIP – Green Power’s Darryn Binder was the first man to top the timesheets early on in Q2, before John McPhee hit back to take over and immediately depose the South African. And then came Fernandez: the Spaniard hit the top soon after, then later going even faster to bang in a 1:57.681.

Only 11 riders had set a lap mid-session, however, so would the tables turn? With a couple of minutes left, Vietti managed to leapfrog the two Sterilgarda Max Racing Team riders, Alonso Lopez and Romano Fenati, who had been in P2 and P3 respectively, to become the closest challenger to Fernanez’ impressive lap. Vietti was now within a couple of tenths and on another solid lap, and in even better news for the VR46 Academy rider, he was setting his laps on his own too… something that most definitely bodes well for race day.

It all came down to the final push for the number 13, and he got even closer as he stayed in touch with Fernandez’ time throughout the lap. Could he do it? Ultimately no, but it was incredibly close as the Italian crossed the line just 0.059 off Fernandez, with no one else able to challenge the number 25.

Arenas moved up on his final lap to take the final place on the front row, with Alonso Lopez shuffled down to fourth but nevertheless putting in an impressive session as he keeps his recent pace rolling. The number 21 will, however, have to take a Long Lap Penalty in the race that he was given following his collision with teammate Fenati last time out. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) denied that same Fenati fifth on the grid as the Japanese rider pipped the Italian by just 0.004, pushing the number 55 down to P6.

Tatay went from Q1 to seventh, joined on the third row by Championship challenger Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and another Q1 graduate: Rodrigo. McPhee completes the top ten, missing out to Rodrigo by just 0.001 but beating Darryn Binder by 0.012 as the South African starts just outside the top ten.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

MotoGP World Championship Standings

2020 MotoGP Calendar

Aragon Schedule (AEST)