#SPANISHGP: POLE NUMBER 11 FOR MARTIN, DIGGIA ON FRONT ROW
It has been a Saturday to remember for Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 at Jerez de la Frontera, with both riders able to secure a front-row start for tomorrow’s Moto3 race of the Spanish Grand Prix. High temperatures might have played a role in today’s action, however, making it a more complicated day at work for Martin and Di Giannantonio, who worked hard with the team to find the best grip on the recently-resurfaced track.
Jorge Martin proved once again to be simply unstoppable on the quick-lap attempt (1’46.193) and went very close to the Moto3 track record he set last year (1’46.004), but still equalled Sete Gibernau as the all-time Gresini rider with the highest number of pole positions (11).
On the other side of the garage, Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed the third front-row start of his career (last year he did it in Mugello and Misano, and then finished on the podium). It was a hard-earned third place sealed at the very last attempt before the chequered flag, which will allow ‘Diggia’ to be in the conditions to fight for the win tomorrow.
Ironically enough, both riders were forced back to the pits to change the front fairing of their Honda NSF250RW machines: Martin hit the windshield with his helmet after a wobble, while Di Giannantonio’s fairing broke as a stone flicked up from the rear tyre of a rider ahead of him.
Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3’s charge to a possible third win of the season will begin tomorrow from 11:00 local time (GMT +2).
1st – JORGE MARTIN #88
“It has been a difficult weekend, both due to weather and track conditions. We worked hard with the team to find back the feeling we had during winter testing and it wasn’t easy. Obviously I’m very happy with this eleventh-career pole, but tomorrow it won’t be easy: it’ll be important to do well in warm up already, as we lack some grip at the rear end and we must find it in order to be competitive.”
3º – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #21
“What a great qualifying it was. We managed to do well in free practice and we arrived well prepared to this session. It was important to do well, because everybody knows my Saturdays are hardly exciting. Today a stone hitting my front fairing kind of tried to take my concentration away, but we did have a great last lap. We are starting the race from up front, so we’ll try to ride at our pace and play our cards right.”
