Espargaro delights home fans with pole position, Rabat back on the pace with front row start
Pol Espargaró was the fastest rider during Moto2 qualifying for the Catalunya Grand Prix in Montmelo this afternoon, taking his second pole position of the season. The local hero showed an excelling pace, the only rider to lap in the 1’46s several times and his speed promises good things for tomorrow’s race.
Tito Rabat also showed a great performance and with third position will be back on the front row of the grid, having finished within an group that’s separated by a whisker, behind Scott Redding and ahead of Nakagami, De Angelis, Zarco and Torres.
Less fortuante was Axel Pons, who couldn’t find a good feeling with his bike and wasn’t able to ride at the same level in the qualifying as he was in the three free practices where he was close to the Top 15.
1. POL ESPARGARÓ, 1.46.410 “I think we did great practice sessions, always among the top two, and we validaded that with the second pole position of the season. We found the solution to get more grip in high temperatures and I feel like a big weight has been lifted from my chest. Now I can ride more calmly and take advantage of my aggressive style. Nothing’s done yet and the points will be given tomorrow, surely in a very tough race, but I will go to sleep with less worries on my mind than in the first races of the year. My pace is good, with several laps in the 1’46s and the other riders in 1’47, but this is Moto2 and surely the race will be difficult. I will try to stay calm and reap the fruits of what we sowed in practice. I hope to give some joy to the fans and give myself an early gift for my 22nd birthday on Monday.”
3. TITO RABAT, 1.47.076 “I’m happy with third position, especially because during the three free practice sessions I had some problems with the setting and couldn’t ride comfortably. I have a good pace and this makes me confident for the race. In the end we chose the right tyre, initially going the wrong way with it, and tomorrow I’m sure it’ll be a harder race than usual because of the temperature. Pol is very strong and the rider to beat, but you have to keep in mind that there are also many riders right behind and it will be a tough battle. We will have to start pushing quickly, pick up the pace and then see how far we can go without overdoing it.”
29. AXEL PONS, 1.48.308 “Things didn’t go well for me in qualifying and I’m very disappointed. Things looked pretty good after the three practice sessions and I thought I could get pretty high up on the grid, but when it counted several things came together and I will start from very far behind. Between not feeling good on teh bike, running into traffic etc. it wasn’t enough to do a good lap. It will be difficult to take points, but I will try to improve in the warmup and give everything in the race to get towards to the goal of a Top 15 position.”
Source: Pons Racing
