ALL-TIME RECORD NINTH POLE POSITION FOR MARTIN AT VALENCIA
With his ninth pole position of the year, Jorge Martin sets a new benchmark in the Moto3 World Championship as the quickest-ever rider in the category by going one better than Alex Rins and Jack Miller, who scored eight pole positions apiece in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Even the previous record lap of Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit, which was set by Jack Miller in 2014 (1’39.068), was smashed by Spanish rider of Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3, who logged an astonishing 1’38.428secs at the end of a perfect lap. Martin will line up on the very front of the grid for the final race of the season with the goal to try and get his maiden race win in the series.
Fabio Di Giannantonio had a decent qualifying session that gave him a spot on the third row of the grid, and the Italian is now ready for the last battle of the year knowing there is still some room for improvement – as well as a good history of comebacks on his side.
The final race of the 2017 Moto3 World Championship will get underway tomorrow morning at 11:00 local time (GMT +1).
1st – JORGE MARTIN #88
“As I already mentioned yesterday, this was never my favourite track and that is shown by my lap-time set during winter testing, which was two second slower. Having said that, things have changed quite a lot since then: I now know the bike like the back of my hand and I’m able to ride it at the limit – and the proof of it is the record of nine pole positions in 2017. We worked a lot on our pace and to be winning the last race of the year would be amazing, although we know that things during the go quite differently on the longer run. We will try to make a good start and battle up to the chequered flag.”
9th – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #21
“I’m quite happy because we improved by sixth tenths of a second from free practice. I was expecting a bit more, but it’s good anyway: the bike works well, we’re ninth and it’s among our best qualifying performances, so all we need to do is stay focused and get near the front already in the early stages of the race.”
