Fifth row start for Alvaro Bautista at Valencia

Alvaro Bautista and teammate Scott Redding will start from the fifth row of the grid in the last race of the 2014 season, at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia.

The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini pair in fact obtained, the 3rd and the 4th fastest time, respectively, during the Qualifying 1 session, which means that ithey will occupy the thirteenth and fourteenth spot on the grid.

With 1’32”160, Bautista just missed out the decisive Qualifying 2 for less than 0.2 seconds: the Spaniard, slowed down by rear grip issues, replicated the lap times clocked during the free practice, showing once more the difficulties to exploit the tyres on a single flying lap.

ALVARO BAUTISTA (13th – 1’32″160)
“Our problem is always the lack of rear grip: the rear tyre looks like is cold everytime, therefore I can’t push hard. Our race pace is our limit: when I try to push to make one fast lap it’s impossible to go faster, because I lose the rear end everywhere. It’s a bit frustrating, but it’s the same feeling I had during almost all the second half of the season, and today the situation was not different. Tomorrow’s race will be again a difficult challenge: I will do my best, to try to enjoy my last race with Honda”.

Source: Gresini Racing