FOURTH AND SIXTH ROW FOR THE APRILIAS IN THE GP OF THAILAND
ALEIX TWELFTH AND ANDREA SIXTEENTH AFTER QUALIFYING
Going straight through to Q2 based on his good placement yesterday when he finished seventh, Aleix Espargaró ended the day in twelfth place with a time of 1’31.258 without improving on his time from yesterday, a placement that earns him a spot on the fourth row of the starting grid tomorrow. On a much-feared circuit, the RS-GP took a clear step forward compared to last year and the good sensations he has had since Friday leave Aleix confident for the race tomorrow.
Andrea stopped in the first qualifying session (Q1), lapping at a time of 1,31.428 which is a step forward compared to yesterday, but not enough to go through to Q2, which he missed by just 4 and a half tenths.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“In qualifying I could have aimed for the top 10. The pace and feeling during the other sessions were good. Unfortunately, with the first tyre I did not have good sensations – it slid around a lot – and with the second I may have gotten a bit carried away in the moment. I pushed hard the entire lap and in the end it didn’t pay off on the time sheets. I expect a very hard race. With these temperatures, you have to manage tyre wear well. I am ready to battle. At the beginning of the weekend I would have signed on the dotted line to have this feeling on one of the most difficult tracks for us.”
ANDREA IANNONE
“We have good potential in the more flowing part of the track. I’ve been riding behind other riders and we are able to maintain the pace. However, I can’t be fully satisfied, because we are still losing a lot in the first two sectors and that is a handicap that keeps me from improving. I am giving it my all. I am at the team’s complete disposal and they are at mine. We have improved the bike since the beginning of the season and now you can tell, but these are not things that are solved from one day to the next. The race won’t be a walk in the park, but we’ll put forth our best effort on the track.”
