Editorial Be aware: The earlier MotoGP All-Time Lap Report at MotorLand Aragon was 1:46.322, which was set by Francesco Bagnaia in 2021.
Extra, from a press launch issued by Dorna:
Benefit Bagnaia at Aragon: Pecco’s good pole lap sees him take purpose at win quantity 5
Quartararo sixth, Aleix Espargaro fourth and Bagnaia on pole? Sunday’s MotorLand showdown guarantees one other storm
Saturday, 17 September 2022
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Workforce) has given himself the very best alternative to take a fifth straight MotoGP™ win, taking pole place with a brand new All Time Lap Report on the Gran Premio Animoca Manufacturers de Aragon. Not solely did Bagnaia take pole with a 1:46.069, simply faster than Jack Miller in a Ducati Lenovo one-two, he’s set to start out a full row forward of his key World Championship rivals at MotorLand Aragon. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) got here from Q1 to take fourth on the grid, whereas Fabio Quartararo (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP™) may solely handle sixth. Will that 30 level hole look even smaller come Sunday?
Q1
With so many large names beginning Q1, somebody was sure to be disillusioned and it turned out that Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Workforce) could be considered one of them. He was quickest after the primary runs on a 1:46.909 earlier than Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) went to the highest on a 1:46.843, however then then Aleix Espargaro usurped each with a 1:46.569. Eight-time World Champion Marquez was unable to enhance as a Yellow Flag got here out too, and he’ll begin thirteenth, sharing Row 5 with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Workforce) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had his first crash of the 12 months, the standard front-end wash-out at Flip 2, and is ready to start out sixteenth alongside Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Workforce). The latter was the crasher late within the Q1 session at Flip 5, the yellow flag cancelling a sooner lap from team-mate Marc Marquez, amongst others.
Q2
As Q2 bought underway, it was Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) who bolted out of the blocks with a 1:46.580 on his preliminary flying lap, and that may nonetheless be the benchmark when the primary runs got here to an finish. Because the monitor went quiet on the halfway level, Bagnaia was nonetheless second on a 1:46.633 and Miller – considered one of two with a smooth Michelin slick on the entrance in addition to the rear (the opposite being Workforce Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins) – was third. Quartararo was solely seventh on a 1:46.952 and Aleix Espargaro sat eleventh with a 1:48.742, however having reused a rear tyre after coming by Q1.
As soon as Espargaro bought a brand new smooth Michelin slick onto the again of his RS-GP, he was capable of go second-quickest on a 1:46.590. That turned third when Bagnaia set the 1:46.069 – 0.253 seconds up on his year-old lap report – earlier than Bastianini clocked a 1:46.313 after which Miller a 1:46.159. These laps determined the entrance row – a Ducati lockout – and Espargaro could be categorised fourth.
At a harder monitor for man and machine, Quartararo was pushing arduous to make up the deficit to Bagnaia and firm when he was pressured into an excellent save at Flip 2 on his penultimate lap, which ruined that flyer however gave ‘El Diablo’ a preventing likelihood. Quartararo was solely tenth when the chequered flag got here out and dug ever so deep together with his ultimate try, however the 1:46.802 was solely capable of transfer him as much as sixth. Beginning between Espargaro and Yamaha’s Frenchman on Row 2 will probably be one other Frenchman in Zarco, who additionally superior from Q1 earlier than setting a 1:46.646 in Q2.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Workforce), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Rins lock out Row 3, the latter a spot forward of the place he began when he gained at MotorLand. Brad Binder (Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) is in tenth forward of teammate Miguel Oliveira and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu).
With Marquez again on monitor however again within the pack, Quartararo mid-top ten and Aleix Espargaro solely simply up the grid, there are already a complete host of headlines to be made on Sunday. Can Bagnaia be sure they’re all a few fifth win in a row? We’ll discover out at 14:00 (GMT +2) because the lights exit for the premier class!
MotoGP™: TOP THREE
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Workforce) – Ducati – 1’46.069
2 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Workforce) – Ducati – +0.090
3 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati – +0.244
Francesco Bagnaia: “Thanks very a lot. Like I mentioned earlier than, I feel it’s my greatest lap time ever. I by no means did a lap earlier than that’s so good, once I’ve pushed so arduous, so I’m very, very completely satisfied about what we have now carried out. It’s one of the simplest ways doable to complete the Saturday. Trying on the race, we’re robust, however Fabio can also be very robust so beginning on the entrance is for certain a bonus.”
Fernandez flies away from GASGAS duo for pole
The Championship chief seems to make extra beneficial properties forward of Ogura’s house race in Japan
It’s a superb time to be Augusto Fernandez. On high of his transfer to MotoGP™ subsequent 12 months at GASGAS Manufacturing unit Racing now being confirmed, the present Crimson Bull KTM Ajo Moto2™ rider has certified on pole place on the Gran Premio Animoca Manufacturers de Aragon with a 1:51.888. Fernandez will share the entrance row of the grid at MotorLand Aragon with none aside from the Shimoku GASGAS Aspar Workforce duo of Albert Arenas and Jake Dixon, whom he beat to pole by 0.124 and 0.291 seconds respectively. His nearest rival for the intermediate class title, Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Workforce Asia), is ready to get away from Row 3 come Sunday afternoon…
Ogura had dropped into Q1 however bought himself out of there with the second-fastest time of that preliminary, 15-minute session, earlier than setting the early tempo in Q2 on a 1:52.402. That was the quickest lap of the session till Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) clocked a 1:52.274 with lower than 5 minutes remaining, however the Flexbox HP40 rider’s time would in the end show inadequate for a spot on the entrance row in any respect.
Dixon took over high spot with a 1:52.179 earlier than Fernandez jumped from a provisional Row 4 beginning berth to first place together with his 1:51.888. Nobody would go sooner than that, however Arenas did observe him throughout the road to enhance from seventh to second with a 1:52.012. With last-start winner Alonso Lopez (CAG Velocity Up) setting a late 1:52.270, Canet was shuffled to fifth and they’re set to share the second row – one which is roofed by only a single hundredth of a second – with Pedro Acosta (Crimson Bull KTM Ajo).
Behind that shut trio, Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Workforce) earned seventh with a 1:52.289 because the chequered flag was out, and can head up Row 3 alongside the Idemitsu Honda Workforce Asia duo of Ogura, who went as fast as a 1:52.397, and Somkiat Chantra. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Workforce) rounds out the highest 10, forward of Fermin Aldeguer (CAG Velocity Up), Filip Salac (Gresini Racing Moto2™), and Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), the latter of whom crashed at Flip 5 earlier within the session.
Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Grasp Camp Workforce) took 14th, from Q1 pace-setter Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Workforce), and Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Workforce). Vietti’s had already been an eventful day given he straight by to Q2 till he misplaced his greatest lap for a monitor limits breach and slipped into Q1. The Italian superior from that opening qualifying session however was quickly on the again foot once more resulting from an early crash at Flip 1 and would in the end declare simply seventeenth on a 1:53.481, one spot up on Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing Moto2™).
It may very well be a decisive day within the title struggle on Sunday, so be sure to tune in at 12:20 (GMT +2) for an additional intermediate class showdown!
Moto2™ FRONT ROW
1 Augusto Fernandez (Crimson Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 1’35.996
2 Albert Arenas (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar Workforce) – Kalex – +0.124
3 Jake Dixon (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar Workforce) – Kalex – +0.291
Augusto Fernandez: “In fact, it helps to now be confirmed and every part is introduced and the information is out, so I can focus 100% on Moto2™. I’ve one other large dream, I’m so near it, so I wish to hold centered on it. It was an excellent day at this time; proud of the pole. I’m not so good on Saturdays, usually, so an vital one, and we’re prepared for tomorrow.”
Guevara holds off Sasaki for pole
The factors chief takes it by lower than a tenth, with Sasaki and Holgado locking out the entrance row
Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Workforce’s Izan Guevara held onto pole place on the Gran Premio Animoca Manufacturers de Aragon, ending qualifying simply 0.095 forward of Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max’s Ayumu Sasaki and with Daniel Holgado (Crimson Bull KTM Ajo) set to start out alongside the 2 in third. Guevara had been left weak after proving too late to mount a ultimate time assault, however in the long run it was his team-mate and nearest rival for the title, Sergio Garcia, shuffled again as he prepares to line up in P12.
Holgado had been quickest as soon as everybody had been by for one flying lap in Q2, on a 1:58.027, earlier than Sasaki responded with a 1:57.963 subsequent time by. Guevara then clocked a 1:57.868 to be the pace-setter with 5 minutes to go, however the ultimate time assaults had been nonetheless to return from most.
With the slipstream so vital down Aragon’s again straight, there have been the standard monitor place video games at first of the session after which once more at first of the ultimate runs – even when it comes to rolling bikes out of their bins in pit lane, in some instances! Guevara left his run a bit bit too late, nonetheless, and took the chequered flag earlier than he had an opportunity to start out one other flying lap.
Thankfully for him, the primary two rows didn’t change. Behind Guevara, Sasaki, and Holgado on the beginning grid will probably be Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). Suzuki managed a 1:58.271 on his first run and McPhee a 1:58.296, whereas Foggia improved to a 1:58.363 on his ultimate lap to consolidate sixth place.
Rounding out the highest 10 had been Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Workforce), Jaume Masia (Crimson Bull KTM Ajo), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Workforce), and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP). Q1 quick man Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) snatched eleventh with the chequered flag out, whereas Garcia simply bought a spot on Row 4.
There was frustration for Deniz Öncü (Crimson Bull KTM Tech3), who blitzed FP3 however then pulled off the race monitor early in Q2 with an obvious technical downside. He and bike bought again to the pits and whereas his KTM was ultimately re-fired, it might be seconds too late for him to make it again round and begin one other scorching lap earlier than the chequered flag got here out. The Turk will begin thirteenth, forward of Taiyo Furusato (Honda Workforce Asia), Adrian Fernandez (Crimson Bull KTM Tech3), David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse). Neither of the latter two set a time in Q2, with Moreira having a crash on the Reverse Corkscrew – rider okay.
Earlier within the day, Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Workforce) was declared unfit, nonetheless, after sustaining a fractured left wrist in a crash in FP3.
The grid for Sunday’s race is an fascinating one, so be sure to tune in at 11am (GMT +2) as Guevara seems to hammer house his benefit – and the remainder dig in to cease him!
Moto3™ FRONT ROW
1 Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Workforce) – KTM – 1:57.868
2 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) – Husqvarna – +0.095
3 Daniel Holgado (Crimson Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.169
Izan Guevara: “I had victory within the first two races in Spain, that is the third race. I’m actually proud of today at this time. It’s my fourth pole place this 12 months, which is superb. For tomorrow, I’ve good tempo alone, within the race I’ll push, and it’s doable that I’ll battle for victory tomorrow.
“I’ve good reminiscences right here. In 2020, with the CEV, I began P22 and I gained three races. Tomorrow, I’ll attempt to push alone if there’s a free second.”
