Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Autodromo del Mugello, Italy

June 3, 2017

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Knockout Session Two:

1. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:46.575

2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:46.814

3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:46.835

4. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:46.878

5. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:46.999

6. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:47.050

7. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:47.152

8. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:47.167

9. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:47.266

10. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:47.282

11. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:47.319

12. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:47.475

From Qualifying Knockout Session One:

13. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:47.220

14. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:47.272

15. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 1:47.305

16. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:47.625

17. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:47.809

18. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:47.940

19. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:47.961

20. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:47.975

21. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:48.361

22. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:48.416

23. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:48.594

24. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (SUZUKI), 1:48.892

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Rabat qualifies tenth for Italian GP at hot and sunny Mugello

With his best ever MotoGP qualifying performance Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat has claimed a top ten starting spot for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix.

At a sun-kissed Mugello circuit Rabat posted a time of 1’47.282 to qualify tenth on the fourth row in the final Q2 session. He missed a front-row spot by just over four tenths of a second.

Rabat ramped up the pace today after his team made major set-up changes to his Honda RC213V and the Spaniard hit top form in the hot and sunny conditions at the 5.24km Tuscany circuit.

The performance came on the back of Rabat’s strong and consistent pace in the Saturday morning FP3 session when he was sixth fastest, which put him into the crucial Q2 session for the first time.

Australian rider Jack Miller has taken time to adapt to the new specification Michelin front tyre introduced at this race with his pace not helped by lingering discomfort in his right hand, an injury suffered in Le Mans two weeks ago.

A lack of braking power and confidence with front feeling finally took a positive turn in FP4 with Miller’s crew chief Ramon Aurin making important geometry changes to the front set-up.

Miller is confident he has now made a step forward with his preparation for the 23-lap race, with his qualifying lap of 1’47.961 his fastest of the weekend so far.

Tito Rabat: – 1’47.282

“I am very happy with today, we had a strong performance in both practice sessions and then qualifying. I learnt a lot today and now I just want to focus on carrying this forward to the race and get a good result. We made a lot of changes from Friday practice and now I am much more comfortable. The plan for the race is to go full gas from the fourth row and don’t think too much!”

Jack Miller: 19th – 1’47.961

“It has been a difficult start to the weekend. I’ve been pushing really hard with this new front tyre and I think we found a good feeling in FP4 and then in the Q1 session made some further progress. I think missing the test in Barcelona last week cost us set-up time. In practice on Friday and this morning I could not push the front enough, I was sliding in the corners. We’ve made a lot of geometry changes and my crew chief Ramon has some more ideas for the race. Finally it was nice to crack into the 1’47s.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“When I saw Tito’s sixth position in FP3 I was a little surprised but it was a very good performance. I think the risks his team have taken to change the set-up of the bike compared to yesterday has paid-off. While the team made some good choices the rider still has to deliver on the track and Tito did a perfect job, he looks strong for the race. I’m a little disappointed for Jack, this is not the position he should be in, and I hope we can find some solutions to allow him to go top ten in the race.”

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

 Tech3 duo primed for round six battle tomorrow in the Tuscan hills

Johann Zarco will begin the Italian Grand Prix from the fourth row of the grid after delivering a spirited performance in the challenging qualifying campaign today. After topping FP4, the French star coolly waited until the final six minutes of Q1 before taking to the track. He then set a superb lap, which saw him clinch 1st and able to progress through to Qualifying 2. Here, he continued pushing and eventually finished with a time that was just 0.269 back from the second row.

Meanwhile, Jonas Folger will surge forward from 15th on the grid. The young German got straight to work in Q1 but his promising charge was unfortunately cut short after a fall in the final moments at turn 11. Nevertheless, he sustained no injuries and his confident performances so far this weekend leave him fully fired up for the race.

Johann ZARCO

Position 11th – Time: 1’47.319 – Laps: 6

“It was the best decision to wait in Q1 and then push in the last moments. However, when you give all of your energy to set a good time, it’s difficult to give the same amount in the second session without risking everything. I made it through to Q2, yet there, the other riders had a lot of grip with the new tyres and they could take advantage of this for a single lap, but I have not quite able to do that so far this weekend. I did my best but I didn’t want to crash so eventually I finished 11th. It was a bit of a tough Saturday overall, and in the morning all the riders got a better feeling, yet, I began to struggle a little bit, which meant that I lost out on Q2. Anyway, I am very happy about my performance in FP4 because riding with the soft tyres was ok, but when we ran with the harder compound there was an improvement. There are some positive points when the tyres become worn so this can be my advantage tomorrow. When I start from 11th, I need to keep calm, but from the midpoint of the race I can make a difference and I am confident.”

Jonas FOLGER

Position 15th – Time: 1’47.305 – Laps: 5

“Although I will start the GP from further back than where I would like, I’m certain that we can still do a good job tomorrow. FP4 went positively and we found the confidence that we needed for the qualifying and then, at the beginning of Q1, I felt comfortable and I completed two solid laps. Just after this, I returned to the pit box to change the tyres and I decided to keep the same front. In the end, I pushed really hard but at the 11th corner, at the exit of the chicane, I lost the front. We have to analyse why this happened, yet I didn’t hurt myself and my final lap time was ok. I’m sure that I could have improved but when you get close to the limit, sometimes these things happen. We still have to decide on which tyre we will use for tomorrow’s race, but nevertheless, I am looking forward to the fight.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ RIDES HIS APRILIA DIRECTLY INTO Q2 AND TOMORROW WILL START FROM THE FOURTH ROW IN THE MUGELLO GP

EIGHTH ROW FOR SAM LOWES

With an excellent FP3 session where he even led the provisional standings, battling with the best and finishing with a time of 1’47.173 just over six tenths from the leader, Aleix Espargaró went straight through to Q2.

In the final, decisive session that defines the top spots on the starting grid for the Italian GP, a crash during the first lap compromised Aleix’s qualifying, so with only five laps done, the best in 1’47.475, he will start tomorrow from the twelfth spot on the fourth row of the grid. This is a good placement which, however, does not reflect the true value of the Espargaró/RS-GP package, capable of doing decidedly better times in practices. But the good race pace and the satisfaction drawn from the performance that the Aprilia has achieved on a challenging track like only Mugello can be, make Aleix and the entire Aprilia Racing Team Gresini optimistic about the race tomorrow.

Sam Lowes finished the first qualifying session (Q1) with a time of 1’48.416. He was also unable to repeat his performance from the morning practice sessions, so he will start from the eighth row with his 22nd best time.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“I am obviously disappointed with the way qualifying went because the RS-GP is working well this weekend. This race is important for the team and I am giving 100% in every session. Unfortunately, I crashed unexpectedly as I was following Maverick, so I wasn’t able to take advantage of my good lap. It’s a pity because I had the right feeling to be able to battle for the first or second row, a position that would have been a fantastic gift for all the guys at Aprilia. In any case, with used tyres, our pace is really good. In the race we will definitely be able to have our say.”

SAM LOWES

“My race pace is rather good, despite the fact that this is not an easy track for us to be fast on. I was able to be quicker than the times the RS-GP did last year and that is a good point of reference for the work we are doing. We need to try to improve engine brake management on some corners, but overall I am confident. Based on what we saw in practice, we should be able to use the soft rear tyre and that could give us an advantage to fight for the points zone.”

More, from a press release issued by Pull&Bear Aspar Team:

Bautista and Pull&Bear Aspar best privateers on the grid at Mugello

Spaniard places eighth in qualifying, behind seven factory riders. Karel Abraham will start from 21st

After three free practice sessions in which the differences between times were minimal, there was a change to the script in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix. Nine-tenths separated poleman Maverick Viñales from the rider twelfth on the grid, Aleix Espargaró. Valentino Rossi placed second, with Andrea Dovizioso completing the front row at Mugello. The best satellite rider in MotoGP on Saturday was Pull&Bear Aspar’s Álvaro Bautista.

Bautista made the Pull&Bear Aspar team the best satellite team in qualifying for the second time this season, after Karel Abraham’s second place in Argentina. The Spaniard was satisfied with the pace he was able to achieve during free practice, in which he has also set fast laps when his tyres were at their most worn down. Bautista is targetting points at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, whilst Abraham wants to move up the field from 21st on the grid. The Czech rider was far off his goal for today, but aims to find the necessary adjustments for his bike to be able to ride more comfortably at Mugello tomorrow.

8th Álvaro Bautista 1:47.167:“We have to be happy, because we did a good job all weekend. In the fourth free practice session I rode with very well worn tyres at a very consistent and very fast pace. The tyres had more than race distance in them. In qualifying I hoped to go round in under 1:47, or at least as fast as in the morning, in which I had got down to 1:46, but the heat didn’t help. In the end I will be starting from eighth, which is much better than in the last few races. This will be important for the opening laps tomorrow, but we will have to take fewer risks. Finishing the day as the top privateer team is also positive, and it will give a boost in morale for both the team and for me.”

21st Karel Abraham 1:48.361:“We will start from twenty-first position on the grid: It is not a good result, but I don’t want to be disappointed -it could have been worse. We have worked very hard to get the best possible setup for the bike, and the team have done a good job, but I still don’t feel comfortable at all. I wanted to try to set a 1:47.5, but we ended up with a time of 1:48.361. That’s far from what we could have done. We will analyse the data to try to take a step forward tomorrow and have a good race.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA SCORES MASTERFUL 1-2 IN MUGELLO QUALIFYING

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi set a hot pace at the Autodromo del Mugello, securing first and second position on the grid for tomorrow’s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

Scarperia (Italy), 3rd June 217

After showing a stunning pace in Free Practice 3, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi promoted to Q2 and flexed their muscles at the Autodromo del Mugello circuit in the fight for pole position. The teammates secured first and second place respectively on the grid for tomorrow’s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

Having amended the setting of his bike to his liking in FP4, Viñales knew what he had to do to get the job done today. He was quick to leave pit lane as qualifying got underway and he didn‘t hold back. He put in a 1’47.271s on his second flying lap to slot into second place before returning to the box with seven minutes on the clock, but he knew he had more in store for the second stint.

Back on the track, one and half minute later, it was the Spaniard’s time to shine. He dominated the field with his third hot lap, a 1’46.575s, to take first place in the rankings. His lap remained unbeaten over the remainder of the session, earning Viñales his third pole of the season, with his teammate coming within 0.239s of his time.

The still recovering Rossi had an eventful start to the day, topping the FP3 and combined time sheets and walking away from a late crash in FP4, but he was his cool and collected self at the start of Q2. Riding with a special Mugello helmet that pays tribute to Nicky Hayden, Marco Simoncelli, and retiring Italian football captain Francesco Totti, the Doctor put his head down on his second flying lap. He dropped a 1’47.539s to take provisional fifth place, before returning to the pits for fresh tyres with seven and half minutes to go.

He left the box almost three minutes later, giving the competition a head start to ensure clear space on track as he joined an intense battle for the front row. Finding himself in eleventh place, he pushed hard to shave a big chunk off his time with his 1’46.814s third attempt, securing second position on the grid, next to his teammate.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Today was not without its challenges, but in the end we couldn‘t have asked for a better result. Maverick already showed great speed yesterday and today he got his chance to set the pole position lap exactly right, with a very strong 1’46.575s. Valentino also gave a seriously impressive performance, starting with the free practice session this morning and he again delivered in the afternoon. Despite his injury he has been showing superb form, finishing just 0.239s off pole. We still have some doubts concerning the set-up that we have to look into, so tomorrow‘s warm up is going to be decisive.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

Qualifying was really special and very nice. I gave my 100% and the bike was working really well and I did my best. Honestly, I‘m so pleased with the work of the team, because we did a really good job in FP4. We modified the bike in a better way and we improved, so I‘m quite happy about that.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Today we did great work, carrying on from yesterday. My condition improved and we also improved the setting of the bike. This morning was the first practice that I ended in P1 this season, so I‘m very happy because I did a great lap time. This afternoon I was also strong, but unfortunately I made a stupid mistake at the end of FP4 and I slid. Fortunately it was no problem, also because it was with the second bike, I didn’t damage the right bike. However, I lost a bit of feeling, so to make this second place was good, even better than normal, because when you start with a mistake, maybe you need it sometimes. I think the race will be very tough from every angle, because it looks like there are six other bikes with the same pace, so to start from the front row is very important.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Second-row start for Pedrosa and Marquez in hard-fought Italian qualifying

This afternoon, Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez concluded positively enough another day of hard work in preparation for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix, both securing start positions on the second row of the grid.

After earning a direct passage to Q2 in a very close morning FP3 session, Dani focused on refining the setup of his RC213V in FP4 before fighting hard in qualifying. His 1’46.999 time, less then 2 tenths off a front-row position, will see him starting his 265th GP tomorrow from the fifth place on the grid (putting him fifth on the list of riders with most GP starts, matching Angel Nieto).

Marc was able to find a good race pace over the day, setting the second-fastest time in FP3, the third-quickest in FP4, and then the sixth-best in qualifying, after getting stuck in traffic during his second flying lap.

Dani Pedrosa 26

5TH 1’46.999

“I think all in all, we achieved a good qualifying result today, because at this track it’s quite easy to be followed and lose some positions. But in the end, I think fifth is a good result. Lap times weren’t extremely fast, maybe because it was very hot and it was difficult to do good lap times. Anyway, we worked a lot with the tyres, gathering the information to make our choice tomorrow. There are several other riders with a good pace, but we must focus on our bike and tyres, trying to do our best with them, to get a good start, to be strong in the first couple of laps, and then to keep up a good pace.”

Marc Marquez 93

6TH 1’47.050

“Honestly, I didn’t have my best qualifying today. I made a few mistakes and then I calculated the slipstream wrong when I caught Zarco too early on my last flying lap. I had the second-best ideal time, but we didn’t do it in one lap! In FP4 I was able to have quite a fast race pace on used tyres, which is positive, but then in qualifying we didn’t do our best, in part because we struggled with the front tyre, which is a bit too soft. Anyway, we’re not far off with the setup, so tomorrow we must make the right choice with the front and then I think we may fight for the podium.”

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

 Barbera y Baz improve their pace and feeling on the second day at Mugello

Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Italy from the fifth and sixth row of the grid after qualifying 14th and 17th today.

Hector Barbera is getting his feeling back and he already showed yesterday that he can be in the top ten, ending the day in eighth place. Today he improved his pace from Friday by almost 0.5s, but this was not enough to get in Q2 and tomorrow he will start the race in the middle of the fifth row alongside Cal Crutchlow and Jonas Folger. He expects to get a good start tomorrow and to fight for his first top ten finish of the season in the race.

Loris Baz also improved in comparison to the first day and he will start tomorrow’s race from the sixth row of the grid, just behind his Reale Avintia Racing teammate. The French rider worked really hard with his team to get the best of the new Michelin front tyres and he did a big step forward this afternoon, improving both his pace and his feeling.

Hector Barbera | 1’47.272 | P14

“We did a big step forward and we were really close to get in Q2. It was a tight session and we finished just two tenths behind Zarco, but I will start the race tomorrow from the best position so far this season. So it is obvious that we have improved. We have a good rhythm for the race and I feel better than ever this year, so I will give my best. The goal is to enjoy riding the bike and if I manage to do it, I’m sure that we can be fighting in the top ten. I think that there is a group from sixth to twelfth with a similar pace, so my target tomorrow is to be battling there.”

Loris Baz | 1’47.809 | P17

“Today we kept working on the set-up and the bike has improved a lot. At the end of the FP4 we had something to test, but the bike stopped and in the end we had to try it in Q1. I’m happy because the pace is much better than yesterday. The chatter has not disappeared completely, but the bike is rideable. Tomorrow will be a long race. Mugello is a very physical circuit and this bike is also more demanding for the rider, so we have to manage the race well and be smart. If we get to the end, we will surely get some important points.”

More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:

Gran Premio d’Italia – Circuito del Mugello – Qualifying

Stunning qualifying for Petrux but his front row lap-time is canceled due to “exceeding track limit”.

Danilo Petrucci makes Octo Pramac Racing dream by playing a superb qualifying on a day full of emotions. After two crashes in the FP3 that did not allow him to center Q2’s direct qualifying, the rider from Terni remains focused and laps very fast in FP4 before conquering one of the two seats available in Q1. In Q2 Petrux makes a masterpiece: he is the quickest rider on the field after the first run and then he is able to notch up a fantastic P2 in the second run. While his team was celebrating the first row, however, communication from the Race Direction comes in. Petrux’s extraordinary lap-time is canceled due to “exceeding track limits” at turn 5. Petrux will start tomorrow from the third row.

For Scott, however, was a difficult day. The English rider failed to resolve the difficulties of Friday and in Q1 he could not make that step forward that would allow him to fight for the Q2. Redding will start from the 20th position.

9th – Danilo Petrucci – 1’47.266

“It is a pity. I did a great time, plus lapping alone. But coming out of the curb I passed through on an area that by regulation is forbidden. I did not earn anyadvantage in term of crono, to be honest. I still have to say that the feeling is really good and the ninth position is not bad. I’m doing well and I’m sure I can do a great race tomorrow”.

20th – Scott Redding – 1’47.975

“It was a difficult day. In this weekend I could not find the right feeling with the bike. Then in Q1 I also had a small problem that did not allow to take advantage of the second time attack. We worked hard with the tires but still could not find the right choice. Starting from the 20th position will be difficult but the gap with the guys in front is still close”.

More, from a press release issued by KTM:

GOOD PROGRESS IN HOT QUALIFYING FOR RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING AT ITALIANGP

QUALIFYING 6th Rd. MotoGP 2017 – Autodromo del Mugello (ITA)

Scorching sunshine meant a red hot pace at the Mugello circuit for the qualifying sessions for the Italian MotoGP today with KTM fighting in all three classes. In the premier MotoGP class, improvements to the KTM RC16 have worked well for Pol Espargaro to ultimately qualify just 1.1 seconds off the front row in 18th. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team mate Bradley Smith was just over half a second back in 23rd for what will be a very hot race tomorrow. With the new-for-2017 Moto2 KTMs, Miguel Oliviera was 9th and the returning Brad Binder 24th on a bike that had very strong top speed through the speed traps. In the hugely competitive Moto3 class, KTMs filled eight of the top sixteen places on the grid with Nicolo Bulega slotting into 5th for the Italian based SKY Racing Team VR46 squad.

MotoGP

With a new chassis freshly delivered to both riders from Austria for this weekend, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders worked hard to further improve the working window for the KTM RC16. It was a hot day in the Tuscan countryside with the track temperature hitting 54 degrees celcius – as warm as it is in Malaysia – meaning lap times were actually a little slower than last year for the pole position battlers. However, with KTM progress was found technically with the bike that is racing at its sixth GP tomorrow. Indeed, the MotoGP class has produced some exceptionally close times this weekend with the top twelve on the grid split by just 0.9 seconds over a 106 second lap proving this is the very pinnacle of prototype motorcycle racing.

Espargaro: “Honestly I think it’s the track where we have made the biggest improvement this season because normally when we go to a track such as this we take too much time than normal to set up the bike because these are difficult tracks, plus, we’ve not been here with this new engine and this new bike so everything is not easy for us when we start at a ‘new track’. We started Friday with a few problems on the bike but we’ve worked and improved most of them so by the end we finished less than one second from the front row, so, this means we are not bad at a long track like this. We have some work to do tonight but I think we have done a good job today.”

Smith: “Today we made another good step in the right direction by improving 1.1 seconds so I’m happy. We had a problem in qualifying with the soft tyre so I had to go with the medium which is never the ideal one to qualify on, but nevertheless in these tricky conditions and in this heat we found some problems with rear grip. Tomorrow is going to be a long one – 23 laps – in these conditions with these tyres and not making any mistakes. I was pleased with my FP4 where we did a full run on race tyres to see where we’re at: I still feel quite comfortable in that area so all in all I feel prepared for tomorrow after we try some small changes in the warm up just to find a few more tenths and something in the pocket for the race. Overall a good day.”

Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): “In general I am quite relieved with the results we are having. Looking at the position for sure it doesn’t sound so sweet but the way we went forward and looking at the lap times, another step is over the race distance. Comparing to when we tested here we have made big steps during this weekend and they are positive, but we now have to put them together for the race, understand tyres for the race and some settings to see how we can make it physically easier for the rider over the race distance. I am more happy than the results show.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Italian GP front row start for Andrea Dovizioso, third in qualifying at Mugello. Fourth place and row 2 for wild-card Michele Pirro, and row 3 for Jorge Lorenzo, seventh in Q2

Andrea Dovizioso went third quickest in qualifying today at Mugello with a time of 1’46.835 that put him on the front row for the Italian Grand Prix. The Ducati Team rider was eighth quickest in the morning’s FP3 session and went through directly into Q2.

Team-mate Jorge Lorenzo will start from the third row: the Spanish rider this morning was third quickest in FP3 and then set the seventh fastest time of 1’47.152 in qualifying.

Wild-card rider Michele Pirro was on good form in his debut race in this year’s MotoGP season. The Ducati Test Team rider, seventh this morning, clocked a best time of 1’46.878, just 64/1000ths slower than second-placed Valentino Rossi.

The 23-lap race gets underway tomorrow at 14.00 CET.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’46.835 (3rd)

“I am very happy to start from the front row here at Mugello! Qualifying wasn’t easy at all because it was very hot and the track grip was lower. Mine wasn’t a perfect lap but it was good enough to earn me a front row slot and confirmed the good job we’ve done this weekend. I’m also satisfied with my race pace because in FP4 we started with very used tyres and we had the same speed as the other riders. I’m confident for tomorrow, when we’ll see if the excellent job we’ve done these last couple of days will be enough to fight for the podium.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’47.152 (7th)

“I’m quite pleased despite my grid position not being what I had hoped for. We are actually much better with race pace than when it comes to setting a time, but in any case this is my best qualifying performance this year after Austin. The most important thing is that we have found a setting that I think can work well tomorrow in the race and also in the future. As for the race itself, we are all very close and it’s complicated to make any predictions, but I think that if I can get off to a good start I can fight with the leading group.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Test Team #51) – 1’46.878 (4th)

“First of all I’d like to thank the guys in the Ducati Test Team who I work with all year, and who deserve some of the merit for this good performance. Unfortunately I missed out on the front row because of a small mistake I made in the final sector, where I can improve a bit more and where we’ll work on tomorrow in the warm-up. Fourth place on the grid is any case a good result, but tomorrow I’ll have to get a good start, stay with the leading group and try and set consistent lap times to do a good race.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

SIXTH AND EIGHTH ROW IN QUALIFYING FOR IANNONE AND GUINTOLI

Andrea Iannone: 16th place, 1’47.625 +0.567

Sylvain Guintoli: 24th place, 1’48.892 +1.834

Today’s qualifying at the Mugello circuit in Italy saw Andrea Iannone improve his pace in preparation of the race, but not able to best his fastest in qualifying on the single lap, he ended his Q1 session in 16th place. In the morning he showed his performance had improved from yesterday, but not enough to jump into the top ten and get a direct ticket to Q2. In the afternoon, the intense work in FP4 resulted in a competitive pace and race configuration, but the qualifying session was even more challenging and he was unable to get to Q2.

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli had another positive day with solid improvements, and important data collection for the team. His pace proved to be effective enough for a recovery in the race, and his feeling on the bike notably improved.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“Tomorrow we will make every effort for the race, as unfortunately our qualifying didn’t go as well as hoped. Although with Andrea we have still margins for improvements his pace is not bad. Where we struggle is finding that “extra” performance during the qualifying. We will work until the warm-up to try to explore some ideas, and then be solid for the race; it’s going to be a tough one, but we can still have a positive performance. With Sylvain we did make some improvements. He is in a similar situation, not a bad pace, but less effective in the time attack. With the pace he has, he could try to improve his position and stay in the fight with some other riders. Apart from that, we did a good job of finalization and setup refining.”

Andrea Iannone

“My feeling with the bike has improved, although the result of the qualifying is not satisfying. It’s difficult for me to find the needed efficacy to improve the time attack. I needed to be very fast in qualifying, and lacking this means we start in 16th place. It will be difficult to recover from this, but I hope to get in a great start, and to recover in the early laps; my pace is not bad. Today I feel better and I´m in less pain, but I feel very weak.”

Sylvain Guintoli

“We’ve managed to improve again this afternoon and I’m getting a better understanding of the track. I clocked my best time when I wasn’t actually pushing; I was just running the tyres nicely. This tells you a lot about how a MotoGP bike needs to be ridden. And finally when I went out really looking to push it, the performance result was slower. It’s good, I understood it. And being only two seconds from the pole in such a technical track is not bad. We’ll try to improve in warm-up. I’ve already seen one sector where I lose time and I know that I can improve. Then I will try to have a solid race, hopefully battling it out with some of the other competitors.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

Cal Crutchlow will start the Italian Grand Prix from the fifth row of the grid after a difficult day in scorching conditions at Mugello in Tuscany. The LCR Honda man had been one of the favourites for pole position on the Italian soil after holding top spot on the timesheets overnight, but unfortunately a spill on his out lap in the morning practice conditioned the rest of his day.

The Brit was forced to go through the preliminary Q1 qualifying session, and as track temperatures reached well in excess of 50°C, the greasy surface made fast laps hard to come by. His final lap of 1’47.220 would have been good enough for row three in the qualifying final, however he wasn’t in the top two places and so starts Sunday’s GP from the fifth row of the grid in 13th.

Nonetheless, the 31 year-old is confident of a solid performance in the race, with his pace during practice meaning he feels capable of bringing some joy to the whole LCR Honda Team and the vast number of sponsors in attendance at the event.

Cal Crutchlow – 13th

(1’47.220 – lap 6 of 8)

“I managed to drop 12 places in one day, it was a bad day, but that happens. Yesterday was good and today not so much. I never got the best out of the bike after what happened in the morning. It was completely my own fault this morning, I went out with a used tyre and it seemed warm enough because I had pushed in all the left-hand corners already on the lap. I thought it was enough to heat the tyre, but although went through it slower than yesterday, I crashed”

“That hindered us all day, because the second bike was completely different to the first and it wasn’t great. That meant I missed out on Q2, and never got through Q1. I made a mistake, had a big shake in the last sector and lost four-tenths to Zarco there. Nobody is to blame, and we start 13th, but my pace is much better than that for the race. We will be battling for top positions tomorrow and I think top five is possible.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Behind enemy lines: Viñales steals pole at Mugello

Number 25 heads the grid from Rossi and Dovizioso at the Italian GP

Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) has taken pole for the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, heading teammate Valentino Rossi on the ‘Doctor’’s home turf at Mugello. Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso gives the home crowd even more to cheer about, taking third and a front row start.

Ducati test rider Michele Pirro shone once again to head the second row at a venue he knows well, ahead of Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and reigning Champion teammate Marc Marquez.

Heading up Row 3 is one of Mugello’s most successful riders, Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo, ahead of compatriot Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) as top Independent Team rider.

Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) had seemed set for a front row start before having his fastest laptime cancelled for exceeding track limits, and the Italian dropped from a provisional P2 to take ninth on the grid at home – in front of a best ever for EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat to complete the top ten.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) had a more difficult session to take eleventh, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) crashing out early and ending the session in P12.

One huge name to miss the cut in Q1 was two-time GP winner Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), who will line up in P13 for the Italian GP, as Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) also missed the cut to qualify fourteenth. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rookie Jonas Folger was another who didn’t move through, the German suffering a rare crash in the final two minutes of Q1 and lining up in P15.

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) qualified sixteenth as he struggles with illness at his home GP, ahead of Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing). Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) impressed in eighteenth, ahead of a tough session for Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing).

The MotoGP™ battle commences at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday, at one of the most beautiful racetracks in the world – the Autodromo del Mugello.

Tale of two rivals: Morbidelli heads Marquez for pole

EG 0,0 Marc VDS riders split by only 0.036s at the top in the Italian GP

Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took a last minute pole position on home turf at Mugello, taking provisional pole from teammate Alex Marquez just at the flag – and by only 0.036. Behind the only two Moto2™ race winners of the season so far is Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), taking a front row start for his home GP.

Title contenders Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) and Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) head the second row, with Luca Marini (Forward Racing Team) showing an impressive turn of pace in sixth to lock out Row 2.

Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) was the fastest rookie in P7 to steal that honour back from recent podium finisher Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46), with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Racing Team) gearing up for his home GP from eighth – having been only a fraction of the win in 2016.

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) lines up ninth as he guns for another podium for the intermediate class KTM chassis, with veteran Italian Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) flying the flag for the Speed Up chassis in tenth.

Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) took P11 despite a crash for both him and teammate Xavi Vierge, with injury replacement rider and 2015 Moto3™ World Champion Danny Kent putting Iker Lecuona’s Garage Plus Interwetten machine into twelfth.

Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Yonny Hernandez (AGR Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) completed the top fifteen – with Bagnaia just behind in sixteenth.

The lights go out for Moto2™ at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday – with EG 0,0 Marc VDS looking to keep their 100% win rate in 2017.

Martin sets pole in Moto3™ – but McPhee starts first

Del Conca Gresini Moto3 rider fastest but starts further back, with BTT rider promoted to P1

Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) has taken his fourth pole of the year – and third in a row – at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, with a stunning last dash over the line to just steal the honours from John McPhee (British Talent Team) and Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing). However, with a penalty for Martin from FP3 of 12 grid positions, McPhee will start from P1 and a host of riders behind will be shuffled forward a position.

Mir was one to suffer an early incident with a highside out of Turn 1 during the session, rider ok, before home hero Nicolo Bulega then also took a highside tumble without consequence. With the action then dying down to leave the riders lying in wait in pitlane, the final dash saw the majority of the grid fighting in the final minute for a chance at pole.

As the initial group crossed the line, it seemed that pole position was going to go to the British Talent Team – but a last effort from Martin, including a move on teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio before the line, saw the Spaniard steal the show in the last few seconds to head McPhee and Mir.

‘Diggia’ was fourth fastest, ahead of an impressive bounce back from Bulega and another solid performance from Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing) to set the sixth best lap.

Championship hopeful Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) was P7 for his home race, with Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate) in eighth in another solid showing of form for the Spaniard.

Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got back into the top ten in ninth, with Tatsuki Suzuki flying the flag for the new SIC58 Sqaudra Corse in P10 as they line up on home turf on the world stage for the first time.

Jules Danilo (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) just beat Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to P11, with Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46), Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Darryn Binder (Platinum Bay Real Estate) completing the fastest fifteen.

Race day at Mugello is always a thriller, with the 1.1km long straight providing the riders with the perfect opportunity for slipstreaming as the lights go out at 11:00 (GMT +2).