GP TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, San Marino

September 10, 2016

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Session Two:

1. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:31.868

2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:32.216

3. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:32.381

4. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:32.443

5. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:32.467

6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:32.677

7. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:32.743

8. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:32.859

9. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:32.918

10. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:33.002

11. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:33.301

12. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), 1:33.929

From Qualifying Session One:

13. Stefan BRADL, Germany (APRILIA), 1:33.399

14. Alex LOWES, UK (YAMAHA), 1:33.635

15. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:33.716

16. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (DUCATI), 1:33.772

17. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:33.847

18. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:33.989

19. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:34.302

20. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), 1:34.465

21. Xavi FORES, Spain (DUCATI), 1:35.161

22. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), no time recorded

More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:

Miller and Rabat endure baking hot qualifying at Misano

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Jack Miller and Tito Rabat endured blazing sun and baking hot track conditions in today’s qualifying session at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

The track temperature soared to 43 degrees during QP1 at the 4.2km circuit near the seaside resort of Cattolica on the Adriatic Coast.

Miller made a late surge to secure 17th on the grid while Rabat will start 19th for tomorrow’s 28-lap race.

Miller posted his best time of 1’33.847 in the closing minute of qualifying after an earlier time was cancelled because he exceeded the track limits.

However the 21-year-old Australia was dissatisfied with his performance as he continued to struggle with front-end grip on a hot track despite the introduction of two new Michelin front tyres.

Miller’s qualifying time improved by just three tenths of a second over the much cooler FP1 session on Friday morning.

Rabat also struggled with front grip issues although he improved to an impressive 14th in the FP4 session. However the former Moto2 World Champion could not replicate this in qualifying

A continuation of the hot and humid conditions is predicted for the race and will place a premium on the endurance of both riders and tyres for the 13th round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Jack Miller: 17th – 1’33.847

“This has not been an easy day, I worked my butt off to end up only 17th on the grid. We tried everything with the bike set up, we basically turned it inside out looking for an improvement but overall the feeling didn’t change that much despite some big setting changes. My laps were all within 0.3s and we really need to try and find something for the race and try and bring it home in the points. I did my fastest time at the end of the session but the potential of myself and the team is much better than this.”

Tito Rabat: 19th – 1’34.302

“We’ve struggled a little to get a good feeling with the new front here at Misano, with the problem becoming worse as the track temperature rises. We changed the balance of the bike for FP4 and this brought a definite improvement, allowing me to close the gap to the fast guys. Unfortunately I didn’t get the run I wanted in qualifying, we need to look at our strategy for this to see if we can improve, but today was a much more positive day than yesterday and I feel more confident going into the race tomorrow.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“It was a difficult qualifying and I was little surprised because a good rhythm in FP4 was only 0.7s from the top. Jack tried to push but he still has a problem with the front of the bike, it is much like he had at the beginning of the season and at the moment the solutions are not clear. The qualifying session was a little bit messy for Tito who waited until the end rather than do his own thing.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

 APRILIA GOES THROUGH TO Q2 FOR THE FIRST TIME

ALVARO BAUTISTA TO START FROM THE FOURTH ROW AT MISANO

BRADL JUST MISSES Q2 AND EARNS THE BEST SPOT ON THE FIFTH ROW

For the first time since returning to MotoGP, Aprilia went through to Q2 and Alvaro Bautista rode his RS-GP to the fourth row on the grid.

The Misano Saturday had started off well for Bautista, who rode an excellent third practice session. In fact, in FP3 the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Spaniard put the tenth best time on the boards at 1’33.480. The combined rankings of the three sessions valid for going through to Q2, however, relegated him to eleventh place, when Pirro’s withdrawal from direct qualification for Q2 opened up the doors to the session that decides the order on the first four rows of the grid. In the decisive session, Alvaro did not repeat his times from the morning sessions, finishing in twelfth place, which earns him the fourth row of the starting grid tomorrow and is the best grid position thus far for the fledgling RS-GP.

Bradl also had a very good day, missing out on Q2 by 301 thousandths of a second, but the third best time in the session (with a lap at 1’33.399) earned him the thirteenth overall place and therefore the best spot on the fifth row. The good performance by Bautista and Bradl in qualifying at Misano marks an important benchmark in the RS-GP project’s growth.

ALVARO BAUTISTA

“This morning we were able to improve the good feeling I had yesterday even more and during FP3 I felt very good, both in terms of my flying lap and in terms of pace. And I am really happy to have gone through to Q2, since it is the first time. In FP4 we took yet another step in the evolution that I was not too convinced about, but we decided to keep the bike in that configuration even in qualifiers, trusting in the new tyres. However, I did not find the same good feeling as the morning, so for the warm up session and, especially for the race, we will return to the settings we had in FP3 that gave me a lot of confidence. This time we are in a good position and I am rather confident in the pace we will be able to maintain, so a good start will be very important”.

STEFAN BRADL

“There is a lot to talk about today. I think that our times were very good overall. A bit of hard luck got in the way, given the fact that the mechanics and I decided to use the second bike in Q1 due to a small technical problem during FP4. I was able to take an excellent lap but not good enough to go through to Q2. Tomorrow morning in the warm up session we will check a few more things in terms of the chassis. We need to analyse the data well in order to select the best configuration for the race. We have improved significantly and I am expecting a heated race where we will be able to hold our own”.

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

Difficult qualifying at the Misano Circuit for Petrux (15°) and Scott (18°)

A Saturday without emotions for Octo Pramac Yakhnich at Misano.

Tomorrow, Danilo Petrucci will start from the fifteenth position on the #SanMarinoGP grid. Scott Redding has to settle for the sixth row (18 °).

Compared to the free practices on Friday, the two riders of Octo Pramac Yakhnich had to deal with problems on the front grip, that did not allow them to be competitive nor in FP3, where Danilo fell again after the crash on Friday, neither in Q1. Howewer, Petrux seemed to be able to set a good time in the first run of Q1 but during his fastest lap, with two red helmets lighted, he risked to crash for the closure of the front. During the second run, he did not find the right conditions to be incisive.

Many difficulties even for Scott Redding, not only in Q1 but also fon the race pace of FP4. The British rider finished in 18th position. For Danilo, however, positive indications from the session in race conditions in which he lapped with consistency recording several Top 10 lap-times.

18th – Scott Redding

1’33.989

We do not know exactly where the problem was. To be honest, we are in a difficult situation for the race. We are not fast and, as the asphalt gets warmer, I feel less and less feeling with the front. We have not enough corner speed and this does not allow us to be competitive but I see that the other Ducati have struggled a lot, too. I think tomorrow will be a very difficult race.

15th – Danilo Petrucci

1’33.716

I crashed twice in the same place this weekend. I am really sorry also for the team. Maybe this morning it was possible to enter directly in Q2 but I made a mistake. I am positive for the race distance but on a single lap we are not competitive at all. We will have to work hard anyway because I feel that there are possibilities to achieve the goal of the Top 10.

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MASTERFUL 1-2 FOR MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP IN MISANO QUALIFYING

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo secured pole position in Misano, the 64th of his career, giving him the record for most pole positions in Grand Prix history. Teammate Valentino Rossi also had a hot pace at his home race and secured a solid second place.

Misano Adriatico (Italy), 10th September 2016

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team was unbeatable during qualifying this afternoon as Jorge Lorenzo set a scorching pace to become the first rider ever to drop into the 1‘31s at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. He bettered the previous Circuit Best Lap record by 0.278s, which was set by himself last year. Teammate Valentino Rossi delighted the home crowd when he made a late charge, securing second place on the front row for tomorrow‘s ‘Grand Prix di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini’ making it a perfect 1-2 for the team.

Lorenzo was the second to last rider to head out on track for the start of the 15-minute qualifying heat and immediately put the hammer down. His first flying lap delivered a 1’32.310s for pole position. He kept pushing for the perfect lap and took his efforts to the next level dropping a blistering 1‘32.076s before returning to the pits with seven minutes remaining.

He was back on track less than two minutes later and was feeling confident that he would be able to further extend his lead. The latter stages of the session saw numerous protagonists put in hot laps but none were able to match Lorenzo‘s pace. In the final minute the Mallorcan delivered a scorching 1’31.868s lap time, putting his #99 YZR-M1 on pole for the third time this year.

Rossi took his time to leave pit lane as qualifying got underway, allowing the pack to depart before heading out into clear space. Eager to make his fans cheer and to secure a front row starting position, he put in an initial 1‘33.416s to slot into fifth place, before he was pushed back as the other riders completed their second flying lap. Rossi shaved a little off his time on his second attempt, delivering a 1‘32.918s, but a flurry of activity put him in provisional seventh position halfway through.

The Doctor then returned to the pits with a little more than seven and a half minutes remaining, before hitting the track two minutes later to put on the pressure. The nine-time World Champion set a hot 1‘32.342s for second place but this result was cancelled due to exceeding the track limit in turn 16. However, the man from Tavullia was not done yet. He pushed even harder on the next lap and delivered a stunning 1‘32.216s to move up to second again. Unable to better his time on his last try, he wrapped up the day just 0.348s from Lorenzo on pole.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Today we showed an impressive qualifying session. Jorge set the new Circuit Best lap at the Misano World Circuit with an astounding 1‘31.868s. Valentino got a really important second place after three hot laps with the second set of tyres. After some difficulties that we faced during today‘s previous two sessions, it was difficult for us to expect to take first and second place on the grid. Misano is not one of the easiest tracks to overtake so that gives the first row start an even higher value. We think that there is still a bit more room for improvement with our set up and we expect to prepare the fine-tuning for tomorrow‘s warm-up tonight.

JORGE LORENZO

I‘m very happy. I was delighted with these lap times because already the first one was unbelievable, a 1‘32.0s, but with riding over the limit more than normal I was able to improve this lap time by two tenths. When I saw I got pole I was delighted and very proud and I probably made the best lap ever for me. We made great progress with the setting, improving the bike little by little in all the corners, and in qualifying I had a great bike. Let‘s try to improve the small details for tomorrow, but I think we have a great pace to fight at least for the podium and let‘s see if we can fight for the win.

VALENTINO ROSSI

It was a difficult qualifying as always. This weekend we found different performances from one tyre to the other and with the first one I spun a lot so I thought “I hope the second one is better”. In fact with the second one I had better grip, so I could push more. Already on the first lap I was 0.6s faster, but I was able to do a little bit better. 1‘32.216s is a good lap time and especially second place is very important. Starting from front row tomorrow is good and now we have to concentrate to fix all the details and then we‘ll see.

More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:

Fourth row for Barbera and Avintia Racing at Misano

Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix of San Marino from the fourth row of the grid, after clocking eleventh fastest in qualifying today. Barbera was close to go straight to the final 15 minutes qualifying session after this morning’s FP3. He missed out by a fraction, but the Spaniard did his best again in Q1 and got through to Q2 with a superb lap time of 1’33.098. But with only one set of fresh soft Michelin tyres, he was only able to finish eleventh. Nevertheless, the Avintia Racing rider is satisfied and confident of finishing the race tomorrow in the top 10.

In his first appearance in MotoGP, Xavi Fores kept his learning curve and improved his best lap time from yesterday by another second. His understanding of the bike, brakes and tyres is getting better and better, and he is looking forward to improve even more during tomorrow’s race. Meanwhile, Loris Baz has been around the garage and Misano’s service road, watching the performances of his teammates.

Hector Barbera | 1´33.301 | P11

“Today was a positive day, especially in FP4. We are rebuilding the confidence lost during the last race, and step by step, we are working in the right direction. Eleventh is not what I imagined in my nicest dreams, especially if we compare our result with the last few races, but this track is a different story and you need acceleration, so we are not 100% comfortable. Everything is really tight and if you improve by four or five tenths, you can get closer to the factory bikes, but I’m loosing too much under acceleration. My target tomorrow will be the top 10. We need to test some ideas with the tyres during warm up to be ready for the race.”

Xavi Forés | 1´35.161 | P22

“From yesterday I improved a little, but I didn’t reach the target I had for today, which was lapping in 1’34. The heat affected me today, and we had to make some changes to the set up. But I must be happy because I’ve improved in every exit. I have too much to learn and every time I can follow a rider I get a new lesson. This is MotoGP and it is not easy, but I want to enjoy the race and try to tow with the group I have in front of me. Yonny (Hernandez), Laverty or Tito (Rabat) are not far. If we can improve the bike and my feeling with the front tyre, I think it will be possible to finish the weekend doing some laps in 1’34.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Espargaro to launch from 4th row – Lowes continues to impress

Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Pol Espargaro will bolt forward from the head of the fourth row of the grid at the round 13 battle in San Marino tomorrow. The 25-year-old jumped into action when FP3 commenced and he notably posted a time that saw him clinch 4th in the session and together with his time from yesterday, he progressed into Q2 in 3rd in the combined standings. Espargaro also completed more laps than any other rider in the morning practice which outlined his determination as he aimed for success in the afternoon. He notably finished FP4 in 6th, and then the Spaniard set off at speed when Qualifying 2 began as he started his campaign. After riding 7 laps, he scored his fastest on his 3rd which left him just over 3 tenths from the second row. As a result, tomorrow he will seek to work through the field and close the weekend as the top independent rider.

Meanwhile, Alex Lowes will kick off his second MotoGP race from the 14throw on the grid, after producing another impressive display of speed in today’s qualifying at Misano. The young Briton started the day in a positive fashion by ending the FP3 session in 14th, but only 0.355 back from the cut-off point to Q2. Then, he finished FP4 in 11th but was just six-tenths of a second behind the reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo which left him fully confident for the qualifying one shootout. Here, he got straight to work as he upped his pace before speeding to his personal best time on his penultimate run that left him in 14th as he outperformed several far more experienced MotoGP riders. He also improved on his Silverstone qualifying by two positions. Now Lowes eagerly awaits tomorrow’s 28-lap race where he will aim to produce another strong showing by finishing in the points.

Pol Espargaro

Position: 9th Time: 1’33.002 Laps: 7

“After showing how strong our pace was over all of the free practice sessions this weekend, I can’t hide the fact that qualifying didn’t really go to plan for me which is really disappointing. Because of this, I have made the job harder for tomorrow, and what makes it even more of a bitter pill to swallow is that I know we had the speed to do a decent job today. After an ok first run, I thought that I could go quicker on my second go, but I couldn’t make it work. Yet, we have to look at the positives. Our race pace is definitely competitive, and we are certain that it will allow me to fight for the top independent position tomorrow. A decent jump off the line will be vital because the run down to the first corner is not too long, plus the following corners are tight and it’s tough to overtake there. I feel a lot more competitive here compared to the last races and the rhythm that I had in FP4 was really solid on worn tyres with the warm weather, even if the heat made my leg hurt a bit. The important day is tomorrow, and we have done a good job so far over this weekend, so I hope that we can close the weekend positively.

Alex Lowes

Position: 14th Time: 1’33.635 Laps: 8

“I am satisfied by what we achieved today and I’ve got to say that I feel positive for the race tomorrow. I improved my time by half a second from yesterday, but having said that I have to admit that still think that I’ve not had enough time on the bike to feel like I can push at the absolute maximum in QP. I need to learn and understand a few more points, such as adjusting my riding position, plus I think that the laps that I completed were too smooth for qualifying today. Therefore, I aimed to just get a solid grid placement rather than risk anything. The result is better than Silverstone and the gap to the leader is getting smaller and in addition, my pace over several laps looks positive. I made a mistake and fell in FP3, but apart from that, I am happy with our work and I am ready and excited for tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:

Pull&Bear Aspar Team riders target San Marino race fightback

Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernández miss out on Q2 at Misano and will have to make up positions from sixth and seventh row starts

Jorge Lorenzo ended the opening day of the San Marino GP in fourth place with no indication of the speed he would show in qualifying today, when he pulled out the fastest ever lap of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli to take pole position in a time of 1’31.868, some four tenths quicker than his team-mate Valentino Rossi in second place. Maverick Viñales completes the front row in third place, with Marc Márquez, Michele Pirro (replacing the injured Andrea Iannone) and Andrea Dovizioso on row two. Tomorrow’s 28-lap race is one of the final opportunities for Rossi and Lorenzo to recover ground on Márquez in the championship and keep the title fight alive to the end of the season.

The main target for the Pull&Bear Aspar Team in tomorrow’s race will be to make up positions if they want to add to their respective points tallies. Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernández qualified on the sixth and seventh rows respectively, with the Irishman once again the top Pull&Bear Aspar Team rider in sixteenth position after he improved his pace dramatically from the cool morning session to the heat of the afternoon. Laverty and his crew have worked hard to establish a good feeling with the medium front tyre, which should pay off over race distance tomorrow. Hernández admitted making a couple of mistakes on his qualifying lap, which cost him several positions on the grid, although he is confident that his free practice pace can be an inidication of a strong race tomorrow.

16th Eugene Laverty 1.33.772: “This morning was really bad, we struggled in the cooler conditions, whereas yesterday afternoon we were so fast on old tyres, doing low 1’34s. But the cold this morning was a disaster, I was a second off where I should have been. Thankfully the race is at the hottest part of the day and in these conditions we are much better. We are sixteenth on the grid, our race pace is pretty good, so we will try and get stuck in there tomorrow. There are a lot of guys going quick here, it seems the bikes with less power are working well and are able to hold their pace, so it could be an interesting race. I had some problems initially with the new medium front tyre but we made some changes to make it work and it is feeling better for me, which is important for the race because the softer option would not have worked over full distance.

20th Yonny Hernández 1.34.465: “I had good pace in free practice but I made a couple of mistakes in qualifying and we’re starting from a long way back. In FP4 I was in the top fifteen. We have changed the bike a lot here and I feel good, so hopefully I can fight for the points. Obviously a top ten finish is a big ask, we’ll have to make a good start, but I think we are capable. The most likely tyre choice for us is the medium front and soft rear. I think with the track conditions at this time of day the front moves around a lot and even though the medium is not as fast it offers more stability. The soft rear worked quite well, I think it can last race distance.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW QUALIFIES AS THE TOP INDIPENDENT TEAM RIDER IN MISANO

Cal Crutchlow will start the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix from seventh place on the grid after a scorching qualifying session at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Riding his Castrol-branded RC213V, the LCR Honda rider has looked in good shape all weekend, and will hope for a decent start so that he can do battle with the top guns of MotoGP once more.

The British rider comes into Sunday’s grand prix on the back of three podium finishes, including his glorious race win in the Czech Republic, and alongside his crew has focused lots of effort this weekend on long runs that should work for him come race-day. He will start as the top Independent Team rider on the grid, and will hope to repeat that in the 28-lap race at the very least.

#35 Cal Crutchlow – 7th (1’32.743)

“First of all, I have to say well done to me LCR Honda Team for the good job they’ve done here, especially on race pace. We have to look forward to the race tomorrow, it’s going to be long and hot with the tyres being a bit of a gamble again.”

“It was hot out there, but not too bad, and I’m actually disappointed not to be on the second row today. I felt we needed to be on the second row to get away with the front guys and be able to battle, but I’ll just have to see what we’ve got tomorrow. We know that it’s more difficult here than last week, we can see that from Marc (Marquez) and Dani (Pedrosa), but we still have some work to do overnight and then I’ll do the best job I can as always.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Marquez and Pedrosa find a good pace for tomorrow’s race

Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa will start from the second and the third rows, respectively, in tomorrow’s Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, knowing that they have a good pace to try and fight for top positions.

Marc had been the quickest rider in the FP3 session, and he showed a strong pace on used tyres in FP4. During qualifying, he recorded his fastest time on his first flying lap but was unable to improve upon it in the second half of the session. He finished in fourth, a mere 62 thousandths of a second off a front-row position.

Dani was also very competitive in FP4, setting the second quickest lap time on used tyres, and although he was aiming for a better grid position, he is continuing to progress well and has a very good pace for the race.

The weather forecast indicates a little drop in temperature for tomorrow’s race, which is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time.

Marc Marquez

4TH 1’32.443

“I’m happy because I felt strong throughout the day, especially in FP3 and FP4. Actually, I was most comfortable in FP4, which is when you set your race pace. In the qualifying session I felt quite good with the first tyre, but we couldn’t make the most of the second one because there was a lot of traffic and I wasn’t able to put in a perfect lap. The important thing is that we’re on the second row, close to Jorge and Valentino, and have a good pace going into the race, so we’ll try to fight for the podium.”

Dani Pedrosa

8TH 1’32.859

“Today was a positive day because we have improved our race pace by a lot. We will have to concentrate on getting a good start and trying to overtake other riders who do not have much pace early on, because the first part of the track is very narrow and Jorge and Valentino have a free run. We hope to move up places quickly so that they do not have much of an advantage, and make the most of the fact that our pace is not bad. We have worked a lot with the tyres and have seen that we do better after a few laps that when they are fresh. At the moment the choice is not entirely clear and we will have to wait until tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

VIÑALES & SUZUKI ECSTAR ON MISANO FRONT ROW

Maverick Viñales – 3rd.

Aleix Espargaró – 9th.

Maverick Viñales powered his Team SUZUKI ECSTAR GSX-RR onto the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s MotoGP™ at the World Misano Circuit Marco Simoncelli after a hot-lap in the closing stages; as team-mate Aleix Espargaró will start from row three.

Both Viñales and Espargaró qualified through to the all-important Q2 by finishing in third and eighth position respectively in FP3, but when it counted, Viñales found some extra-tenths to post his best lap of the weekend – a 1’32.839, with Espargaró also setting his fastest lap of 1’33.272, which could probably have been even better if he hadn’t incurred a small crash during his last ‘time attack’ attempt.

The day has been positive overall, with intense work undertaken on the set-up to improve the pace for the race; and especially to keep a consistent performance with the increasing temperatures at the Misano circuit in San Marino. The work proved to give positive results, as both riders could find a good feeling and also be fast.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“Good job for Maverick who could make another positive performance; he had a great ride. To start from the first row is important because it helps the motivation and with less pressure. Aleix managed to stay in the third row, it could be a good position, however, because he has a good pace and he wasn’t bad with worn tyres; he’ll need to struggle a little more but he can do a good race. Let’s hope we can fight within the top riders and have a positive race, obviously here there are many riders with extra motivation so it won’t be easy, but we’ll try to stay with them.”

Maverick Viñales:

“Today wasn’t easy at all because usually with hot temperatures we struggle, but the team made extraordinary work between FP3 and qualifying and also I made a step, and so I could make a very effective lap. It is very important because the front row will allow me to be immediately at the front and fight for a good race. We have been pretty consistent in our improvements and finally we got within the fastest, we developed many solutions for the set-up and my crew found a very good setting. Now we also have some more ideas to work on tomorrow to see if we can find that little more that I believe we are still missing in our potential, as this will allow me to improve the pace which is the most important thing for the race.”

Aleix Espargaró:

“Finally in FP4 we found a good set-up, my pace is very good and I felt really satisfied with that. In qualifying, unfortunately, I had some trouble in finding the good feeling with the front tyre and finally with the second set of tyres for the last time attack I lost the front and had a small crash. It was too late to get back to garage and make another attempt, but the third row is not a bad place to start and having this good pace I feel confident for a positive race.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

 Row 2 start for Michele Pirro and Andrea Dovizioso, fifth and sixth in TIM San Marino GP qualifying. Andrea Iannone declared unfit and will have to miss the Misano round

Michele Pirro set fifth quickest time today in qualifying for the TIM San Marino Grand Prix and will start Sunday’s race from row 2 of the grid. The Italian team’s tester had been entered as a wild-card on the Ducati Test Team’s Desmosedici GP, but in the afternoon, following the decision by the doctors to declare Andrea Iannone unfit, he stepped onto his team-mate’s bike as replacement rider.

On the basis of the regulations, Pirro, ninth in the aggregate free practice standings (FP1+FP2+FP3), had to take part in Q1, where he recorded the fastest time. In Q2 the rider from San Giovanni Rotondo then put in a number of quick laps to set the fifth fastest time of 1’32.467 on his second run.

Andrea Dovizioso also had a good qualifying run, and he was very satisfied with his race pace at the end of the day. The Romagna-born rider, sixth after the morning’s FP3 session, set the sixth quickest time of 1’32.677 in qualifying and will start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s 28-lap race.

After a crash yesterday in which he suffered a small fracture to his third thoracic vertebra, Andrea Iannone went for another check-up at the Misano circuit’s medical centre this morning. Due to his condition, the rider from Abruzzo was not given the all-clear by the doctors to continue and will unfortunately have to miss his home GP.

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 1’32.467 (5th)

“First of all I want to congratulate the guys in my team because after Iannone, who I hope makes a speedy recovery, was declared unfit, they really outdid themselves today. After FP3 I switched from being a wild-card rider to replacement rider and in two hours they had to move into the factory team’s box and work on Andrea’s two bikes. Despite this we all did a great job and obtained a great result. I improved on my time from last year and I am close to the best riders. Tomorrow it will be another story, and even though I don’t take part in all the rounds of the world championship, I’m starting up at the front and my Desmosedici GP is working really well, so I’m confident about the race and ready to give it a go.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’32.677 (6th)

“I am pleased with this afternoon’s result, because in the morning, with the cooler temperature, I had lost a bit of feeling. My race pace is really very good even though a lot of us are at a similar level. Tomorrow I expect it to be a tight race and it will be vital to get a good start. I’m sorry about what happened to Andrea Iannone because I know how important it is to race at Misano for an Italian rider, but I am also happy about Michele Pirro’s good performance, he went really well today.”

Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29)

“I feel pretty bad about the way everything went because this morning I felt that I could try and get back on the bike. I knew that it was going to be tough and maybe that I couldn’t continue, but I wanted to try in any case. Unfortunately I was halted by the doctors’ verdict before I was able to try. Obviously I am very disappointed, because this is our home race and I had high expectations. In any case I want to say hello and thanks to all my fans for the support they have shown me and I hope to be able to give them some more good results in the next few races.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

The ‘Spartan’ strikes back: Lorenzo stakes his claim on Misano

Record-breaking pole position plants Lorenzo’s flag on the Riviera di Rimini

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo took a record-breaking pole position at Misano World Circuit, beating his own pole lap from 2015 and putting in the first ever 1:31 lap of the Adriatic venue. Teammate Valentino Rossi took P2 on home turf, with a last dash from Silverstone winner Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) enough to lock out the front row.

The skies over the Riviera di Rimini have proved a stark contrast to those above Silverstone circuit for qualifying in the #BritishGP, with the sun high in the Italian sky and the grandstands shining their own gleaming yellow. With FP4 commanded by home hero Rossi, it was however his teammate who staged the first real challenge for pole as Lorenzo put in the first low 1:32 effort of the session.

Lorenzo wan’t done there, as the reigning champion then put in a new lap record to beat his own from 2015, laying down a marker at a track that – whilst behind enemy lines – has proven one of the Mallorcan’s best. After just missing the 1:31 bracket in that first run, the ‘Spartan’ then came back out and lowered the lap time once again to put in 1:31.868 and smash the record. The pole at Misano is his 64th in the world championship – taking him one above Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Rossi in the record books.

Rossi put in a great lap in the second run of the session to go P2, before Race Direction cancelled the lap time after the Italian had exceeded track limits. With one shot left, the Italian put in another, legal lap and took back his place on the front row – the only man to get within half a second of his teammate on pole.

Maverick Viñales moved onto the front row to knock Marquez back on his second run, as the paddock’s most recent victor took his Team Suzuki Ecstar team back to the front once again; the warmer temperatures not proving as difficult for the Suzuki as feared.

Marquez was the closest challenger after the initial run of fast laps, but with visors cleaned and final preparations for the last run made was unable to set a better time in the second half of the session and will begin P4. Joining him on the second row are the Ducati Team duo of Michele Pirro, replacing Andrea Iannone, and Andrea Dovizioso.

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow heads up the third row as top Independent Team rider from Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa, with Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completing the top ten.

Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) were P11 and P12 as the last of the Q2 participants.

28 laps of Misano now await the grid, with the curtain up at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) as Marquez and Lorenzo face down local legend Rossi in the Italian’s backyard.

Zarco bounces back with pole at the #SanMarinoGP

Nakagami pushed back to P2 as the Frenchman impresses when it counts

Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) came out fighting in qualifying at Misano World Circuit, as the Frenchman took pole at the Italian venue after being outpaced throughout the weekend by Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), who lines up P2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing) completed the front row as the hot afternoon temperatures bore down on the intermediate class.

After Nakagami had proved the man to beat going into qualifying as the Japanese rider proved the only member of the exclusive 1:37 club throughout the weekend, it was Baldassarri and Zarco who first got into that bracket as Moto2™ qualifying got underway. Championship contender Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) was initially just inside the top ten as he struggled somewhat with his healing collarbone, with fellow title rival Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) showing a sudden improvement as the Brit pushed up into P4.

Zarco, who won at the venue in 2015, set himself up well to repeat the feat in 2016 as the Frenchman came out the blocks quickest to top the session and will start from his fourth pole position of the year. Putting in an immediate 1:37 and consistently lapping in the same bracket, the reigning champion looks ominous once again as he looks to defend his 10-point lead in the standings.

Nakagami put up a good fight to try and topple the Frenchman at the top, but found himself less than a tenth back on the Ajo Motorsport rider’s lap time by the end of qualifying, making it the only session the Assen winner has not led at the San Marino GP so far. With one of his best efforts also his last, he will be chasing the win on Sunday – and unlike Zarco counts on no pressure in the championship standings.

Lorenzo Baldassarri got off to a storming start and by the end of the session proved the only man left with the chance to take pole from the reigning champion, but the Italian just lost out as the lap went on and will have to settle for P3; a front row at his home GP nevertheless an impressive showing from the Forward Racing rider.

Sam Lowes recovered from some tough sessions at the San Marino GP to qualify fourth and keep his title hopes alive, with second Italian on the block Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) completing the top five. Silverstone winner Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten) had a solid session despite a wobble in the final minutes and will start P6, ahead of Dynavolt Intact GP rider Sandro Cortese.

Title challenger Alex Rins, who is riding for only the second race weekend since a collarbone break in training, will start from P8, with Italtrans Racing Team’s Mattia Pasini impressing once again in P9. Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) completed the top ten, with Jonas Folger (Intact Dynavolt GP) and Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) just pushed out into P11 and P12 respectively.

Moto2™’s pivotal race in Misano begins at 12:20 local time (GMT+2), with only ten points in it at the top of the table and six races remaining.

Freight train Binder full steam ahead on the Riviera di Rimini

Championship leader unstoppable in Misano as he takes another pole position

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stole pole position at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in the final seconds of the session, with the South African heading a qualifying freight train before timing it perfectly to take back P1 over the line on his final lap. 2015 pole sitter and victor Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) was second fastest after proving the pacesetter on Friday, with Sky Racing Team VR46 rookie Nicolo Bulega qualifying in P3.

With perfect blue skies at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the classic Moto3™ qualifying waiting game saw everyone put their banker lap in before returning to the pits ahead of the final run, with all eyes focused on who would blink first.

Brad Binder spent his FP3 consistently putting in the 1:42s and was wise to the game as the majority of his rivals sat it out and waited for the championship leader to move. Heading out and finding himself at the head of a freight train as riders looked for a tow, Binder then backed off and found himself just enough space to go for one last run – taking pole just at the flag to edge ever closer to that championship trophy.

Bastianini followed Binder across the line with some well-judged track tactics, and similarly set his best lap on his last, ending up with the second fastest lap as Moto3™ return to the scene of his 2015 pole position and maiden race win. The ‘Beast’ has shown fantastic pace all weekend and was the pacesetter on Friday as well as closest to Binder in qualifying.

Nicolo Bulega shot up the timing screens to take a provisional pole before the last run began, and then just found his time beaten by Binder and Bastianini. The Sky Racing Team VR46 rider has had a pole position in his rookie year at Jerez, but will have to settle for P3 at his home GP. Teammates Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Andrea Migno had a more difficult session, recording lap times that saw them end the session in P17 and P22 respectively.

Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) had fantastic pace to take P4, just ahead of late crasher and title contender Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0), with his compatriot and teammate Aron Canet just behind with the sixth fastest lap of the session. Philipp Oettl (Schedl GP Racing), Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) and Juanfran Guevara (RBA Racing Team) were the next quickest in QP, with local rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) completing the top ten.

Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) was down in P26 for some of the session as the team worked on his bike, before finally getting back out in the last fifth of the practice and pushing to move up the order – eventually ending up sixteenth fastest despite his morning pace. Francesco Bagnaia (Gaviota Mahindra Aspar) was another rider out of position in P21 by the time the final run began, as the Silverstone polesitter faced a mountain to climb but was unable to improve in Mahindra’s 100th race, sliding down to P25 on the timesheets. In addition, Bagnaia’s teammate Jorge Martin suffered a crash in qualifying that saw the Spaniard break two bones in his foot, and the Brno podium finisher will sadly be forced to sit out the rest of the San Marino GP; hoping to return to action in Aragon.

Due to the nature of the Moto3™ qualifying session, Race Direction are expected to apply penalties that may affect the grid before the race.

Every Moto3™ race of 2016 so far has been a classic, with Misano World Circuit ready to host another when the lights go out on Sunday at 11:00 local time (GMT+2).