Sachsenring MotoGP Qualifying – Quotes from all riders
Marc Marquez – P1 / 1’21.160
“I’m happy to have set the fastest time today, because we’re better here than at other circuits. I have a fairly good pace and am riding comfortably. The final free-practice session wasn’t one of the best of the weekend, as I didn’t feel completely right but we made a change for the qualifying session, which went much better. We need to study the data this afternoon, but in qualifying we managed to take that step forward that we needed. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, because the weather forecast is for conditions to be quite unstable. In any case, we’ll try to finish on the podium, which is our goal. It seems that Valentino [Rossi] is very strong, and we’ll also have to keep Dani [Pedrosa] in mind; I don’t know what happened to him in qualifying, but his pace is very close to ours and he’s very strong here.”
Hector Barbera – P2 / 1’21.572
“I’m over the moon, because this is my best result ever in a MotoGP qualification. Sachsenring is a track were our expectations were very high, but to achieve second position is more than we ever dreamt of, just incredible! This front row starting position is a way to thank the team and everybody who believes in this project. The team is doing a fantastic job and it’s fair to say that even though it is such a big surprise to be in front, it also shows that we have the capacity to achieve success, which we showed today. Our motorcycle is two years old, which is noticeable, because you always have to give a little bit extra. We don’t know if it will be a dry of a wet race tomorrow, but whatever the conditions will be, I will try to do my very best and leave from here with a good result!”
Valentino Rossi – P3 / 1’21.666
“I was lucky to stay on the first row, because unfortunately with the second tyre I got stuck in traffic and I feel that I could have done two or three-tenths better because I did a 1’21.6 on the first tyre. I feel good on the bike. We have made a small modification since the Free Practice sessions and I was faster, so it’s a shame I wasn’t able to take second place, but third is OK.”
Danilo Petrucci – P4 / 1’21.666
“It is a great result even if I would like to be the first Independent. Then when I got back to the garage I discovered to have the same Valentino time. It was a shame because it was my first first-row. But it is also true that this morning Valentino made a little driving school to me so all things considered it is ok. The bike is working well. I hope that tomorrow will be a dry race. I hope to stay a few laps with the front group and are very confident for the race pace.”
Pol Espargaro – P5 / 1’21.738
“Qualifying today went really well and the result is close to our season’s best, plus it definitely helps to start from the second row at this track, because it’s not easy to overtake at the Sachsenring due to it being so tight. Therefore, this grid position hopefully gives us the chance to create a small gap to the pursuing satellite riders and my aim is to battle with the Ducati’s, which are strong here. Our pace today has been consistent and I feel quite comfortable on the bike, so I’m really looking forward to the race, even though it will be long and demanding. I aim to deliver a performance and score the top satellite position again to close what has been a positive opening half of the 2016 season. We will wait and see what happens with the weather, but I am ready and excited for the challenge.”
Maverick Viñales – P6 / 1’21.784
“I’m not really satisfied, honestly, as I was expecting much more. It’s still one problem we have to find a solution for: Very fast on Friday, then slower on Saturday; and finally struggling in Sunday’s race. Here, the weather conditions changed a lot also, yesterday was colder and rainy, while today there was sunshine. When temperatures get higher we always struggle, the traction is our main issue and also here we suffer. We did many tests, the improvements are solid, but we still need more competitiveness. Anyway, we are working on the info we collected, we just need to stay calm and focused and try to finalise a good machine for the warm-up. Hopefully tomorrow is going to be a little colder and this could help us.”
Andrea Dovizioso – P7 / 1’21.’858
“I am pleased because we are again working well this weekend and we have managed to improve in every session. In FP4 our pace wasn’t bad at all and with used tyres we are not far from the frontrunners, but unfortunately in qualifying I was not able to make a perfect lap. Tomorrow the weather conditions will probably change again and the cooler temperature could help us, so we’ll see what will happen in the race.”
Aleix Espargaró – P8 / 1’21.883
“The truth is that I am very happy, especially in FP4 we made a great step forward, we tested the tyre performance over the race length and the lap-time was not affected so much, so this means we did a good job with the set-up. Unfortunately, in qualifying I couldn’t find even a clean single lap, every lap I made a little mistake in ‘Sector 3’ and couldn’t find an effective solution, but we are very close; with a couple-of-tenths I would be P2. For tomorrow I am feeling positive, there’s only one rider much faster than the others and I think it’s ‘gonna be a group race; I think we made solid improvements and we can have a good race performance. The start will be very important, as well, as to stay close with the leading group.”
Andrea Iannone – P9 / 1’21.890
“It’s a pity that in qualifying we were not able to make the most of our potential because throughout the weekend we have always been very quick and competitive. Our best session was FP4 in race simulation, with a full tank and a used rear tyre, and in the end we were very quick with a good pace. Unfortunately in qualifying with the first tyre I crashed when I lost the front, and in the end we were not able to get into the first two rows, which was our target because here it’s very important to start up at the front.”
Dani Pedrosa – P10 / 1’21.892
“It’s a pity we weren’t able to be faster in qualifying after having been so fast in the free practices. I wasn’t able to make a big enough improvement to the lap time I had set with used tyres, and honestly I don’t know why. It’s not good to be that far back on the grid at this track because the first part is quite tight, but we need to focus on the race anyway. We’ll have to get a good start, be fast on the first lap and gain as many positions as possible, because our pace is good and the race is long. Of course it won’t be easy—we also have to see what the weather will be like—but we’ll stay positive and try to do our best.”
Jorge Lorenzo – P11 / 1’22.088
“During the second crash I entered the corner not breaking so hard or deep, but on the previous lap I didn’t warm up my tyres enough. I was completely straight and not breaking very strongly when I lost the front. Three mistakes on my part are not normal for me, but this weekend it happened. I’m disappointed about the crashes and the position, but ultimately I could see a big improvement. During every practice session we improved the bike and finally we were very competitive with the new tyre, especially in Q1. On the lap that I crashed I maybe could have done a 1’21.5 or 1’21.4. After I crashed we made another modification for Q2 but I didn’t have enough new tyres, I only had one more, so we exited with a nine-laps old tyre and I was impressed about the lap time, a 1’22.0, which was good. I imagined that if I put on a new tyre I could be on the first or second row, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish the lap. Eleventh on the grid is a bad position, but that’s where I finished.”
Yonny Hernández – P12 / 1’22.346
“I am happy because I qualified directly for Q2 but I could be happier. On my best lap I was two tenths off pole and could have finished in the top eight but I pushed hard in turn eleven, ran wide onto the green zone and lost some time. It wasn’t to be. Then they cancelled my lap, even though I lost time. Anyway, my pace is good, we have been competitive all weekend and I am going into the race with positive energy, looking for a good result. If it rains I will push as far forward as I can because the conditions suit me but in general I think we are ready for any conditions.”
Cal Crutchlow – P13 / 1’21.783
“We should have been in Q1 directly really. In FP3 it looked like Bradl was just riding in the middle of the track, he made a mistake and came back on track in front of me and ruined my lap. Then we had a rear brake problem and I had to scrap the rest of my laps. I’m disappointed like you would not believe. I took a gamble along with the team that we would use an older front tyre during the qualifier, because we didn’t have enough new ones left in our allocation. We took the gamble because we needed it for Q2, simple as that. As we then saw, the laps there weren’t great and I would have been sixth with my Q1 time. I would say that I’m the fourth fastest guy out there, so to be 13th is just a joke. I’m not happy but there’s nothing I can do now other than get out there in the race tomorrow and go for it.”
Bradley Smith – P14 / 1’21.994
“Unfortunately, today didn’t quite go to plan and even though I have made it a bit more challenging for myself by qualifying in 14th, I will do my absolute best in the race. At the end of FP3, I made a small mistake in the last sector, which cost me entrance into Q2. Looking back, we can see that we had the pace to do a good job in Qualifying 2, because, with the 1’21.9 lap time that I rode in QP1, I would have been just outside of the top ten. We all know that this year the class is super competitive and it’s vital to find every tenth possible, as this amount of time can equal three or four positions on the grid. Tomorrow we still need to work on the bike because, even though I’m feeling quite comfortable with the setup, we had a few small issues with the hotter conditions this afternoon. The team and I also need to improve our entry speed a bit more, and in the warm-up we will experiment with a few different settings so that we can have more confidence in that area. I feel content with riding the bike on a full fuel load and also when the tyres have completed race distance. Yet, it will be important to get a strong start from 14th because it’s tricky to pass at this track. We know that some riders will be unable to match their race pace with their qualifying performance and 30 laps is a long race, so I will push hard to regain some valuable positions and try not to make any mistakes.”
Scott Redding – P15 / 1’22.236
“It has been a very difficult day in which I could not find confidence. The feeling was particularly low on the front. I had the feeling that it could close more than once each lap, and this hasn’t allowed me to push. It is a problem we will try to solve for the race. But I know that anything can happen tomorrow. It is important to stay focused as the race is a different story.”
Jack Miller – P16 / 1’22.382
“Unfortunately on my first fast lap I made a small mistake at the bottom of the waterfall with a big shake down the hill into turn 12. I couldn’t stop the bike in time and had to run through the gravel. But overall I’m feeling good about my pace; I did some solid laps in FP4 on used tyres so I think the race can be good for me. I feel confident banging out the times riding alone and all the left hand corners here make it easier for me with my right leg still not 100% recovered.”
Stefan Bradl – P17 / 1’22.493
“We struggled a bit today because the bike we decided to use was slightly different than the one I rode yesterday in terms of electronics. Lining it up with our standard cost us some time, but fortunately in FP4 we were able to improve the traction, which is the area where we need to improve on this track right now. In qualifying I was able to push and I think the seventeenth spot on the grid is acceptable, although I obviously hoped to do better. I hope the weather doesn’t play any tricks on us tomorrow, even if the forecast is not particularly positive. The Sachsenring is a rather difficult track when the conditions are not perfect”.
Eugene Laverty – P18 / 1’22.567
“The afternoon was so much better. When the bike is working better the lap time comes so much easier. In the afternoon I made a 1’22 easily and this morning I was on the limit to make a 1’24. It was impossible to go faster so I am happy with the work the guys did, just by changing the geometry we improved so much. We had a really good FP4, qualifying wasn’t as good because I lost the front and conceded around three tenths. We had the potential for fifteenth place on the grid and that’s a big improvement on where we were this morning. Lorenzo’s crash in front of me also distracted me but qualifying is qualifying, it is the race that matters and I am happy with our pace from FP4. Some other riders are spinning up quite a lot and that is not good for 30 laps but I feel optimistic we have a good setting and I am confident for the race tomorrow.”
Alvaro Bautista – P19 / 1’22.670
“Today we did some good work on the bike, improving the general feeling, but we were unable to find more stability in T4, particularly coming out of turn 11 that comes before the downhill, and that is where I’m losing the advantage I’ve gained in the first sectors. This penalised me on the flying lap, but tomorrow it will be important to maintain a good pace. In the race it will be different. It will be hard having to start from behind. I’ll have to get off the grid fast and do well in the first laps, but I am confident in the pace that I can maintain and I am sure that we’ll be able to improve this position”.
Loris Baz – P20 / 1’22.860
“I am on the way of finding back to my rhythm and on getting my strength back, but on the other side, we are running into the same problems that we had before my injury. At least, we have a rhythm that is acceptable. The foot injury doesn’t bother me too much, the only thing is that I have to use more strength in the rest of body, which is a bit tiring. Qualifying wasn’t too bad. We were better than in the last two races, which is positive. But we are still far away from where we want to be. We found a setting that allowed me to improve considerably, but I have to be really aggressive with the bike and I feel the strain on my body. My riding style right now is not very clean, but I hope we can find a few more improvements for tomorrow. I am also struggling to find the right feeling with the dual compound front tyre that Michelin brought for this race. I have to find confidence, because without confidence it is difficult to go fast!”
Tito Rabat – P21 / 1’23.075
“I am very disappointed because I put in a big effort to prepare in the best way and do a good job in qualifying. I don’t really understand what happened, perhaps my information about the bike set-up to my crew was not the best and I could not go any faster despite the better weather conditions. The main problem is that I had no feeling and confidence in the front-end.”
Michael Bartholemy – MarcVDS Team Principal
“It was a solid performance from Jack in qualifying and he is a good frame of mind following his first MotoGP win at Assen. More important is his strong race pace across the free practice sessions and he clearly has the potential to score some nice points here. For Tito it has been difficult and he has the same feeling and comments about the bike that he had back at the first race in Qatar. He is not comfortable with the set-up so now we will analyse his comments and data to make it better for the race.”
Massimo Meregalli – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Valentino did a good job today. As I’ve said before, the Sachsenring circuit is not easy for us, but Vale and his team worked in the right direction in today’s Free Practice sessions and we saw the results during Q2. It was a pity that he got stuck in traffic, because he could have set an even faster time, but regardless, a front row start is a really good position for the race, especially because Sachsenring is a difficult track to overtake at. Jorge was very unlucky today to suffer two more crashes. Fortunately neither of them had serious consequences. We are going to have a long night to get his bikes ready for tomorrow and will try to make another step forward for the Warm Up. The weather forecast for tomorrow is not looking too good, which will likely play a big part in what we expect will be a challenging race.”
Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager
“Honestly we were expecting to gather better results today, after the positive day yesterday. Maverick was very fast on Friday and this morning we tried several things with him, but finally we found a good set-up, and also, Aleix was fast this morning, improving on some weaknesses. The qualifying is not bad because we are in the second and third rows, but maybe we could have done better. Anyway, if we manage to make some little steps forward analysing data for tomorrow, then it could be a race where we could be performing well. The weather tomorrow will be variable, it could rain and be colder, so it’s ‘gonna be a challenge and we will need to be good in adapting to the changing conditions.”
MotoGP 2016 – Sachsenring Qualifying Results
- MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’21.160
- BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Avintia Racing 1’21.572
- ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’21.666
- PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing 1’21.666
- ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’21.738
- VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’21.784
- DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 1’21.858
- ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’21.883
- IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Ducati Team 1’21.890
- PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’21.892
- LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’22.088
- HERNANDEZ Yonny 68 COL Aspar MotoGP Team 1’22.346
- CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 1’21.783
- SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’21.994
- REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing 1’22.236
- MILLER Jack 43 AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 1’22.382
- BRADL Stefan 6 GER Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’22.493
- LAVERTY Eugene 50 IRE Aspar MotoGP Team 1’22.567
- BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’22.670
- BAZ Loris 76 FRA Avintia Racing 1’22.860
- RABAT Tito 53 SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 1’23.075
