Sam Lowes claims stunning front row in freezing Phillip Island Qualifying
Sam Lowes and the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 produced a stunning performance in this afternoon’s Australian Grand Prix Qualifying at Phillip Island, on a track made really tricky by strong wind and low-temperatures. Aboard his Kalex machine the 26-year-old British rider set the third fastest time, missing pole position for just 0.065 seconds in the very final stages of the session, after two small crashes in the early stages.
After two free practice sessions on the wet, the qualifying session was held in the dry, but saw all the riders struggling with the front end because of the cold asphalt. Despite the difficult conditions Lowes – who returned to the track with less than ten minutes to go thanks to the great work of the team on the bike damaged in the second fall – improved his lap times clocking a very good 1’34”057 in his final lap.
Lowes thus gained a very important front row start ahead of a race that promises to be very difficult, even if tomorrow the weather forecast indicates slightly higher temperatures than today.
SAM LOWES (3rd – 1’34”057)
“Conditions were difficult and everybody struggled with the front: this was not the best Qualifying for us, but being only 0.065 from pole position after two crashes, and without having done a lot of laps, it’s really positive! Tomorrow we can do a good job: we just need to find a little better feeling on the front end, then we’ll wait and see for the conditions. However, I think that tomorrow we will meet slightly higher temperatures, and probably also less wind: this will help a lot, because the wind cools the tyres down too much”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“All in all we can be happy! Frankly speaking, after two crashes is quite normal to lose the feeling to be fast, but Sam was really determined and he got a very important front row! Tomorrow’s race will be difficult for everybody: with these low temperatures the track is very tricky and even the slightest little mistake can turn into a big mistake”.
