All category qualifying round up from Mugello MotoGP

MotoGP 2022 – Round Eight
Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P1

“Well, if I could wish for a perfect Saturday, I think it’s this. What a feeling, that’s amazing; my first MotoGP pole, here in Mugello with a Ducati, with all the tifosi – unbelievable. It’s unbelievable also because I thought I could be really fast in the dry, and then the conditions became tricky, so I said, ‘Now it’s difficult, it’s tricky, so let’s see.’ But I was just fully committed, fully head down, fully focused, and we did an incredible lap. It’s something unbelievable here, so super, super happy.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P2

“An unexpected result, especially here at Mugello. At the start of the qualifying, when I saw the first drops of water on the bike, I was not convinced I would be able to push at 100%, also considering that this is a very fast circuit. Then I finally closed my eyes and tried it all. A great Team effort and a great bike! We are working hard, the target for us is to remain more and more constantly in the slipstream of the fastest guys and gain more confidence in riding. Today’s front row is the result of what we have done so far, session by session. For tomorrow we have to focus on the pace, it’s not bad at the moment, but there are riders who are stronger than us.”

Luca Marini – P3

“Today was a particularly complicated qualifying: on this circuit you touch incredible speeds and with the rain, which began to fall at the beginning of the session, it was important to understand exactly the conditions of the tarmac and not to take too many risks in these critical conditions. A great day for the whole Team, with the retirement of the 46, the Ducati and the Italian riders in front of the home crowd. Tomorrow it will be difficult, I am not 100% satisfied with the pace, I still have to find 2/3 tenths of a second to be able to stay with the very first guys in a ranking with very small gaps.”

Johann Zarco – P4

“It was a very difficult qualifying because it was not easy to understand which was the best tyre to use. However, I am very confident for tomorrow’s race. We have done a good job so far and our expectations are good. It’s clear, though, that we are still missing something. We will have to try to find it tomorrow morning.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P5

“Today’s conditions in qualifying were pretty peculiar, and I didn’t want to risk too much, considering that it was raining at Arrabbiata 1 and 2, and I had already crashed this morning in FP3. Anyway, fifth place is a good result, and my pace for the race is good, as demonstrated by the few laps I was able to do in FP4 before it started raining. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow: the conditions will be very different, with lower temperatures than these two days, but I feel I have a good chance of fighting for the win.”

Fabio Quartararo – P6

“This morning, I didn’t have a good feeling on the bike, and I couldn’t make a good lap time. This afternoon, we made a big change on the bike. Though I didn’t do a complete lap in FP4, I already felt better. The conditions this afternoon were really dangerous. This is a very fast and very long track, and riding here with slicks after rain, you don’t know what to expect in all the sectors. That wasn’t a great feeling. But in the end, P6 on the grid is a good result for us.”

Aleix Espargaro – P7

“These were difficult qualifiers, bordering on risky. I really wanted a good result today. In fact, toward the end of Q2 I decided to box and gamble on a new tyre. Unfortunately, a mistake in the final sector kept me from taking a spot on the second or maybe even first row, but the MotoGP youngsters took a few more risks and deserve to be out front. In any case, this does not change our goal for tomorrow, which is still to battle for the win here in Mugello.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P8

“It was a solid second day today, especially this morning in FP3 we made a good lap time to get P9 and go into Q2 – it was a really important session. This afternoon was tricky and tough because the conditions were really unstable, but we were really competitive in the qualifying session and were fighting for a good position. At the end we finished in P8, on the third row for tomorrow’s race, but being the first Honda is really important for the team and myself. So overall it was a good second day, I’m pretty happy and now I’m ready to make a good result in Sunday’s race.”

Pol Espargaro – P9

“It wasn’t a bad day when you look at the conditions, it was really easy to crash today and it was hard to make a lap. We have the same mixed feeling where we can’t be disappointed or upset with what we achieved but we can’t really enjoy it either. Tomorrow is the race and I am hoping the conditions stay cold like they were today because I think there’s the possibility to have a good race then. We’re strong on the brakes here so we will need to use everything to fight against our rivals.”

Enea Bastianini – P10

“We’ll be a bit behind on the grid, but we worked well and I’m quite happy with my race pace. The two crashes surely didn’t help, and track conditions in qualifying were really challenging. I would like to congratulate Fabio because he really did some great laps: I will look at his data today, too, to understand where we can improve. Surely we miss something on corner entry in the third sector, but we’ll be part of the game tomorrow – and we need a good start to the race.”

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Jorge Martín – P11

“I am sorry for the penalty because after going long for a contact I was trying to clean the tyres and I don’t think I disturbed another rider. It won’t be easy to start so far behind, but the race pace this morning wasn’t bad. So I think I can try to make a good comeback tomorrow.”

Marc Marquez – P12

“Today was another difficult day. In Free Practice 4 we changed something on the bike which improved my feeling. Then Q1 and Q2 were honestly crazy. Especially in Q1 I took a lot of risk with the slicks because it was raining already. In Q2 I also took some risks but the result didn’t arrive and in the first lap I made a mistake and crashed, I expected it to be dry but it was completely wet. Finally, I could only do my time attack with a wet bike with some small changes to the setup. Let’s see what happens in the race tomorrow, I will keep giving my 100 per cent to help Honda.”

Jack Miller – P13

“Right at the start of FP3, I had a technical issue that ruined our strategy in terms of tyre plan. The only option we had to do more laps with the second bike was to go out on the preheated tyres, which I had a terrible feeling yesterday. We preferred to wait and only go out with the new tyres towards the end of the session. Although I improved, the time I managed to get was not good enough to get into Q2. In Q1, on the other hand, I was fast on both wet and slick tyres, but I had both Marc Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio behind me. Today we were unlucky. Tomorrow will be a difficult race because it’s not easy to overtake here, but we will do our best as always”.

Michele Pirro – P14

“It was quite a complex qualifying session due to the weather conditions. Maybe I could have done something more but I can’t complain about this result. The feeling with the bike has improved and I’m sure we can have a good race tomorrow. Our target? I think we have the potential to fight for the Top 10.”

Miguel Oliveira – P15

“We tried our best in qualifying to understand the conditions as quickly as we could but we were still not fast enough to change to slick tires. It was hard to judge the grip and it was hard to judge if it was going to rain again. A tricky session and I just needed one extra lap because the potential was there for Q2. We’ll start from P15 and we’ll hope for the best because we had a great FP3 session. The conditions could be quite different tomorrow so we’ll have to analyze carefully and what we choose to do will have an impact for the outcome of our race.”

Brad Binder – P16

“FP3 wasn’t the best session for me but we made some changes for FP4 they felt better. I took the gamble of pushing for an early lap in Q1 before it became really wet. It went well but then the rain never really came! It was quite breezy so the track was drying in some places pretty quickly. I misjudged the session. Anyway, I’m sure I can have a solid race here. Things are not quite as they seem and I know we can push forward.”

Joan Mir – P17

“I felt that even if had been dry, I couldn’t have done much better today – but of course, these mixed conditions did make it tough. I’m still lacking the feeling with the bike in some places, and we’re working hard to find solutions. In some ways the rain did condition my performance because we were starting to find a better feeling just when the weather changed. However, I need to build my confidence up and then let’s see what will happen tomorrow.”

Álex Márquez – P18

“I think the final position doesn’t show our real potential. In the morning we did a really good step forward, we improved quite a lot and that’s the most important thing. Sadly, in qualy, I gave 100% but got traffic on my fast lap. It was complicated because of the conditions, the two guys in front of me had wet tyres and I had dry, so the difference of speed was too high and I lost time. I think today we had an opportunity to go to Q2 and were not able to take it, but we need to be positive for tomorrow because with a good start I think we can make a solid race.”

Remy Gardner – P19

“It was a tricky qualifying session today. It was a shame that we did not get one more lap because I had a good rhythm but it was a better result than we expected. We have a few points to adjust tonight before the race. We look forward to racing tomorrow here in Mugello.”

Darryn Binder – P20

“It’s been a bit of a tricky day today. FP3 was good, but at the end of FP3 on the final lap, I was just basically coming around to finish the lap as there was a yellow flag. Unfortunately, I rode over something and ended up crashing where the yellow flag was, so I ended up been given a long lap penalty for tomorrow, which is really disappointing. Anyway, FP4 was not easy, we didn’t get too many laps because of the weather and then also going into the Qualifying it was a bit tricky. I managed to put in the slicks at the end and do a couple of laps. Overall, I feel good, I feel like I made a step forward this weekend, I feel confident with the bike and I’m ready for the race tomorrow.”

Alex Rins – P21

“We were unlucky today; I was doing well in FP3 and in the end I missed out on Q1 by almost nothing. Then I was giving everything in Q1 but it was very difficult to manage the conditions. I want to understand exactly what’s happening, and to learn, because we quite often suffer on Saturdays. I don’t know where I can finish tomorrow, and I don’t want to predict anything and put pressure on myself, so I just want to ride an intelligent race and enjoy it.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P22

“Unfortunately, I only managed to do one run with slicks in qualifying. Maybe with two attempts it would have been possible to improve a bit. Today we once again used the sessions to test other solutions and that is the most important thing. Now the goal is to try and have fun tomorrow in the race!”

Franco Morbidelli – P23

“Today was a positive day for us, apart from the qualifying. In FP4 I felt better than yesterday, and I was able to ride the bike better. In qualifying I made the mistake to keep riding with the wet tyres. I didn’t know if it was going to rain more or less, so I stuck with the rain tyres to be on the safe side. But in the end, in the last two laps the conditions cleared up. I ended up further down the grid unfortunately. Our speed here is better than starting from 23rd place. On the other hand, I’m making steps forward this weekend, and I’m closer than ever to Fabio, though we’re still too far from the top.”

Maverick Vinales – P24

“Tomorrow we’ll once again have to come back from behind. Our pace is good and we demonstrated that again today. In FP3 we missed going straight through to qualifying by a few thousandths and then in Q1 I was lacking confidence in the mixed weather conditions. I’m hoping for a dry race. I’m confident that I can make up positions, especially if the pace isn’t exaggerated in the early laps.”

Raul Fernandez – P25

“The target today was to improve my pace with a soft tyre and this is what we managed to do this morning during the third free practice. In the afternoon, the conditions were difficult for qualifying as it started raining. I made a mistake in not wanting to go out in slicks so I would like to apologise to my team. Tomorrow we will try to do a better job.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P26

“I didn’t put in a slick tyre at the end and it wasn’t the right decision. I couldn’t do anything. It was my mistake. We obviously can’t be happy, the position is really far back. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow in the race.”

Qualifying Report

Gresini Racing MotoGP rider Fabio Di Giannantonio has the first premier class pole position of his career after a dream Q2 session for the rookie home heroes in the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

Di Giannantonio set a 1:46.156 with the chequered flag out to head up a front row comprised of three Italians from two Italian teams, riding Ducati’s Bologna bullets.

Fellow rookie Marco Bezzecchi was second-fastest and his fellow Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider, Luca Marini, took third after rain came, faded and then left plenty up for grabs on full slicks in Q2.

With Di Giannantonio heading Bezzecchi, it’s the first time since Qatar 2008 with Jorge Lorenzo and James Toseland that two rookies start 1-2.

Zarco qualified fourth, one spot ahead of Bagnaia, which means the best of the non-Bologna rest was Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo, the World Championship leader taking sixth to lead the resistance.

Behind the five Ducatis and a Yamaha, Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro claimed seventh, although he looked far from pleased.

Joining him on Row 3 will be Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), while Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) rounds out the top 10 on another Ducati.

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) qualified 11th-fastest but is set to start 14th as a result of a grid penalty for being slow on the line and disturbing another rider in FP3.

Early, Q2 was red flagged barely more than a minute in as a result of a big crash for Marc Marquez at Turn 2, rider ok but RC213V decidedly not. The machine caught fire and fluid spilt onto the track, necessitating a stoppage so the surface could be cleaned up.

He would later get back out on his second bike and set a personal-best lap time of 1:47.468, but will start 11th due to Martin’s penalty.

Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller similarly moves up to 12th on the grid, Miller missing out on advancing from Q1 after Marc Marquez used the tow from Miller to catapult himself ahead of the Aussie and into Q2.

After the qualifying session Marc Marquez held a press conference to state that he would race on Sunday, but then would take some time out to head for further arm/shoulder surgery so will miss much of the remainder of the season.

Mugello 2022 MotoGP Qualifying Results

Moto2

Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) grabbed the Moto2 pole position at the at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley after setting a 1:51.121 in Q2. Canet was just over a tenth of a second quicker than fellow Spaniard Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) around the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) also earning a spot on the front row as the Brit bounces back from being declared unfit to race in France.

Behind the packed first two rows, Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) heads up another on the third, from Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team). Arbolino had a crash late in FP3 which locked him into Q1, but the man who is fourth in the World Championship boosted his hopes of a solid points haul by making his way out of that first stanza of qualifying.

Row 4 will be Barry Baltus (RW Racing GP), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), and Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40). A winner at the French GP last time out, Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will have to make a charge from 14th on the grid if he is to go back-to-back. Indonesian GP winner Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) starts even further back, in 24th, after missing out on passage to Q2 by more than half a second.

Aron Canet – P1

“Well, I’m very happy to be back here again. Another pole position in this category, it’s amazing for me. But, the more important thing is tomorrow’s race. My pace during the weekend has been really, really good and we need to improve something on the bike but I’m ready to fight for the victory. We’ll see how the hand is, that’s more important for me. It’s not so painful at the moment because this is a flowing track. But, I’m very, very happy. Thank you to my team and to all the people who support me!”

Mugello 2022 Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto3

Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü has claimed Moto3 pole position at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) not quite able to carry his dominance of Free Practice forward.

However, Foggia still had a big say in how qualifying played out at Mugello, as it was the Italian who provided the decisive tow to Öncü. Foggia still made the front row, but will start to the outside of the pole-sitting Turk, with rookie Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) impressing in the middle of the front row.

Behind Öncü, Holgado and Foggia, Moto3 World Championship leader Sergio Garcia qualified fourth, one position ahead of fellow Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team rider Izan Guevara. They will be joined on Row 2 by McPhee, courtesy of his first flying lap, with Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) heading up Row 3, ahead of Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Q1 graduate Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI).

Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who is tied for second in the World Championship with Foggia, will be looking to make up ground from 10th on the grid, with Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and Lorenzo Fellon (Sic58 Squadra Corse) also on Row 4. Fellon was another of the riders to come from Q1, making the top four in that session thanks to a triple tow with the chequered flag out.

Deniz Öncü – P1

“The lap was quite good, and when I saw the lap time – a 6.8 – it was my best lap time of the weekend, so I said, ‘Okay, for sure this is enough to be in the top two rows.’ After the chequered flag, I saw I was pole. I am happy because pole position is nice, to start the race from top, and I’m happy. For sure, tomorrow will be a big group race for me. It’s a disadvantage for me that I am tall and my weight compared to others is more, so I’m losing on the straights, as we see on the sectors. But, my strategy, I’ll be there, just waiting for the last laps, and I still don’t have a victory, so I will play all my cards to do this.”

Joel Kelso

“It’s a P20 start for Mugello. It just was not our day, we’re lacking pace but we are trying. It’s feeling tough at the moment but I know I’ve got to remain positive for the race because anything can happen!”

Mugello 2022 Moto3 Qualifying Results

MotoE

Mugello 2022 MotoE Race One Results

MotoE Championship Points Standings

Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley (AEST) Schedule