Wyatt Farris set a blistering new overall motorcycle track record at 1:29.666 on his Motorsport Exotica/BST Vodka BMW M 1000 RR during final CRA CTML Gold Cup qualifying Saturday on the Podium Club At Attesa road course, located in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Bryce Prince was second-quickest at 1:31.181 on his BPR Yamaha YZF-R1. Rounding out the top three was Anthony Norton, with a 1:31.247 on his Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Piqueras wins last corner battle with Roulstone and Quiles to take Jerez Rookies Race 1
A third win in a row hides just how hard Angel Piqueras is battling for his advantage in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The 16-year-old Spaniard was passed by Jacob Roulstone into the last corner but the 18-year-old Australian drifted wide, bumped KTMs with Álvaro Carpe and only just held off Màximo Quiles on the run to the line.
15-year-old Spaniard Carpe was furious about the coming together, lost concentration and lost a podium place as fellow countryman, 15-year-old Quiles flashed past having recovered from a late long lap penalty after battling for the lead for most of the race.
Angel Piqueras on 3 going for 4
“I felt really confident going into the race, I felt confident yesterday in Qualifying and I knew I could have a good race. We did change the front a little after Quali and that worked well.”
“It was a hard race, I’m tired now because it was hard work and I need to enjoy this moment because it is now 3 wins in a row.”
Can you make it 4 in a row? “Yes,” he nodded with a grin.
Màximo Quiles with the pace to win
“Yes I was pretty fast, I am happy with that. I am a bit angry because I had to make the long lap and I only realised it quite late. I did it just 2 laps before the finish but I still fought back, I expected that they might bump each other in the last corner so I opened my line a bit going in so I could cut back and get the good drive and slipstream to the line.”
“The bike was great and I plan to race just as hard tomorrow.”
Jacob Roulstone missed the gear and the win
“I am very happy that all the hard work is paying off and I was very confident going into Qualifying and the race. After 5 laps I was struggling a bit to stay with the lead group, I just decided to calm down to hit my marks and I managed to catch back up.”
“I felt really good, passed Carpe and went for it into the last turn inside Piqueras, I miss-shifted into 2nd when I thought I was in 1st. So I didn’t have the drive, Piqueras passed me and bumped with Carpe which he was not happy with, I’m not a dirt rider, I don’t know if he expected me just to let him through but I am not here to make him happy.”
“I’m just focussed on tomorrow, the bike is working well, I was having quite a lot of moments but they were controllable moments.”
Álvaro Carpe lost concentration and podium place
“It was a hot and very hard race. In the last corner, I had an accident with another rider, it cost one place in the classification, I’m not happy with what happened, but this is racing and tomorrow I will do better.”
“Tomorrow will be better, I have had a very good feeling with the bike all weekend and I want to thank the staff for their support and I want to fight for the win.”
Rico Salmela fought back
“The start of the race was quite difficult,” stated the 15-year-old Finn. “I started from P11, in the first corners I was struggling a bit and at the end of the first lap, I was P16. Then in the middle of the race, I started to make some progress and in the last laps I caught Casey and Ruche and in the last lap I was able to overtake Ruche for P5.”
“I’m quite happy with the comeback I made but tomorrow I want to work more on the first laps to get in the lead group as I have to fight for the podium. It’s good for the championship as I am now P3.
Ruche Moodley will better his 6th
“I pushed really hard to stay with the front group but I was really on the limit and when I lost them I struggled to keep my rhythm. I’m a little bit disappointed that I lost the front group but it’s my best position so far in the Rookies Cup and tomorrow I know what to do differently to stay with them.”
“I know two things that I can work on, in Sector 3 with my riding and I will talk to the guys about changing the bike because I had a lot of sliding on the rear,” explained the 16-year-old South African
Casey O’Gorman 10th after late error
“I was just dropping off the back of the lead group and I made a mistake, touched an inside kerb with my front, it tucked, I saved it but then the rear came round and I lost so much time.”
“I struggled a lot with the heat and the sliding but the bike is good and hopefully when it is a bit cooler tomorrow morning it will be better,” asserted the 15-year-old Irishman.
Marco Morelli 11th
“I made some mistakes in the race and that cost me a lot, this is why I didn’t stay in the front group but I will learn and do a better job tomorrow,” explained the 15-year-old Argentinian who had qualified 2nd.
Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.
Race 2 is on Sunday at 09:30, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.
Herfoss Storms to Pole as Dunker Writes His Name Into History Books
ALPINESTARS SUPERBIKE
Penrite Honda rider, Troy Herfoss, picked up where he left off on day one, as he claimed AMX Superstores pole position for the two, 16-lap races on Sunday afternoon. Herfoss had already reset the ASBK Superbike lap record once during Free Practice Four, however on his way to pole position he lowered the benchmark again, laying down a blistering 1:07.655.
After the challenges of the past two years, it’s a welcome return to the number one grid slot for Herfoss – Today’s pole position is his twelfth in his ASBK career and his first since round two 2021. Herfoss is back, proving that his win at the 2022 season finale was no fluke. His rivals should be worried. Herfoss has been the pace-setter in three of the four practice sessions as well as the major qualifying session, and been the most consistent of any rider on the grid as he has gone about the task of getting back to the top. His qualifying performance was a huge warning shot that he his back to his most determined mood – a scary thought for his opponents.
“It’s been an extremely long road back for me with many challenges along the way”, explained Herfoss. “I feel that I am back to 100% as the team has really been working hard for me to get back to this point. We are all working very well together. I am hoping that this weekend is not a one-off, but I am feeling extremely fit and confident about the rest of the season ahead. I know it’s a long shot but this weekend, I have the opportunity to shrink the points gap to Josh [Waters]. It’s been a long road back to get to this point, but I am confident that I am back to where I have been working towards.”
Defending champion, Mike Jones found a little extra to be second on the grid just 0.104 secs adrift of the Penrite Honda man. The corresponding round at the same venue, last year, was where Jones set the foundations for his title challenge. Come race day there is another mindset to the three-time Aussie champion and he will be a major threat as he is a major “race day” rider.
Fellow Yamaha Racing Team rider, Cru Halliday even with two off-track excursions at the final turn in his efforts to grab the top spot and the all-important championship point – claimed the last spot on the front row. 2023 has been a turnaround for Halliday. Apart from a crash in the opening race of the year at Phillip Island where he had to take evasive action to avoid a major incident, his worst result in the other four races has been third place. Halliday is a true title threat in 2023.
Three-time ASBK champion Josh Waters has had a challenging weekend that was compounded with a crash in Q1 but he bounced back to be fourth overall. The important equation for Waters and the McMartin Racing Team is to leave the round with as many points as possible in preparation for the next round at Darwin in mid-June.
Besides Herfoss’ impressive performance, the stand-out of the session was Max Stauffer who scored his best qualifying result in the fifth spot in the Alpinestars Superbike class as he will be in the middle of the second row for tomorrow’s two races.
The remainder of the Top Ten are Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) in sixth from fellow BMW rider, Ted Collins (Livson Racing), Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) in eighth spot, Bryan Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) in ninth and Anthony West (Addicted To Track Yamaha) in tenth.
MICHELIN SUPERSPORT
Cameron Dunker – at the ripe old age of 15 – continues to re-write the history books in his first year in the class. There’s no denying the kid’s talent. Since he has turned his talent to road racing after winning five Australian dirt track titles, he has won the Oceania Junior Cup and in 2022 took out the double winning the Supersport 300 Championship as well as the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup.
At the previous round at Sydney Motorsport – in just his fifth race in the class – Cam won the second Michelin Supersport race in wet and challenging conditions, to become the youngest winner of a race in the class and backed it up today by becoming the youngest rider to claim a Michelin Supersport pole position. The diminutive teenager is a class act with an extremely promising future. It would be no surprise if he takes another win tomorrow but there are plenty willing to upset his applecart.
One of those riders is Tom Bramich who qualified second fastest on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Tom has been in the class for a couple of years after tasting international competition but with his best qualifying result in the class has shown that he is not too far from knocking on the door of a race win. Third fastest was championship leader, Ty Lynch who went about his task without any fanfare but continued to chip away in his usual way. While Ty is not one to make any excuses, he is still recovering from injuries he suffered last year. As is the case with all of the gladiators of ASBK, once he is on the bike and on track all the discomfort is erased from his mind as he goes about the job at hand.
Leading the way on the second row of the grid is Olly Simpson from South Australia. Simpson is one of Australia’s most underrated riders as he has entered his local round at the Bend in recent years but for 2023 he – and his two brothers, Mitch and Jordie – are contesting every round. The Simpson trio have regularly featured in the podium positions throughout the opening rounds, look for this trend to continue tomorrow.
Fifth fastest is Jack Passfield from NSW with Jake Farnsworth rounding out the second row of the grid for the two 14-lap races ahead of the field tomorrow.
SUPERSPORT 300 AND YAMAHA FINANCE R3 CUP
The support classes of the Supersport 300 Championship, the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup each contested one race this afternoon with two races for each class tomorrow.
The Supersport 300 and R3 Cup provide another piece of history in Australian road racing when teenager, Marcus Hamod from Wollongong (NSW) doubled up and broke through for his first victories. The first win in the R3 Cup of eight laps was extremely emotional for the youngster as he held off the attention of his opposition in a typical drag to the line to deny Henry Snell with series leader Brandon Demmery coming home in third. It was a typical, frantic last lap for the class with six riders crossing the line within half a second!
The Supersport 300 class was the last race of the day and it was more of the same – Action aplenty. With the massive boost of confidence from the earlier race win, Hamod again managed to win the slipstream duel to the finish line. Demonstrating his level of cunning aboard a motorcycle, he rode a unique line through the final corner to carry the momentum and negate any threats from his rivals as he set a new lap record on the way to victory. Brandon Demmery and Brodie Gawith rounded out the podium as pole sitter Cameron Swain was an agonising 0.044 of a second away from some silverware.
BLU CRU OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
A no-holds-barred race to open the account for our juniors. Leading one moment, being shuffled back to outside the top five the next – Welcome to OJC. Fans around Queensland Raceway were treated to an enthralling race, proving the class is a real winner for unearthing talent.
The short, sharp six-lap dash concluded with Bodie Paige taking the opening race of the weekend. Archie Schmidt climbed from the second row to finish second while it was a solid points-scoring day for Riley Nauta, as he looks to build on his current third place in the championship standings.
Introducing: the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship
A new project is announced by the FIM and Dorna Sports
Saturday, 29 April 2023
The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosted a very special presentation on Saturday as the FIM and Dorna Sports announced a new project: the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship. The new competition is intended to widen access to the sport of motorcycle racing for women and create a platform of representation for female riders.
On launch in 2024, the initial series will primarily run alongside the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The target for the first season is at least six rounds, with two races to take place per round. The grid will race on equal machinery, with a single motorcycle supplier to be announced in due course.
The new Championship aims to create opportunities for female riders who are already competing – providing an environment in which they can build a professional, viable career in motorcycle racing – and looks to lay the groundwork for more equal representation across all motorcycling paddocks of the future. Providing a positive example for prospective female competitors, the series will further underline that motorcycling is a sport for all to enjoy, on and off track.
Jorge Viegas, FIM President: “This is the first time ever, since 1904, that we are going to start next year with the FIM Women’s World Championship. I also hope you like the logo, it’s a surprise for all of you!
“We gave a lot of thought to this, and we had a lot of demand. As we do in Motocross, Enduro and Trial, we are starting with a women’s World Championship next year in circuit racing. Our plan is to have six races in Europe, and we are planning to do a single brand competition. We will try to have women from all over the world racing in this new Championship. It will be organised primarily within the frame of the WorldSBK Championship.
“It’s a Championship where we want women to be pro. It’s not a step to another category, we want women who race here to be able to earn a wage as a rider, as professionals. We hope to start in March or April next year.”
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “When I was informed about this project and its possibilities I took a lot of interest and had a lot of enthusiasm. Currently, we thought that the World Superbike platform could be one of the places to start this project, but it doesn’t mean that it could only be in Superbike. It’s within Dorna, so we will see how this develops.
“We don’t have all the details yet, this is a live project, evolving all the time. It’s important that we expand the opportunities available, and especially seeing a lot of Cups and projects that we’ve started, I think it’s a big challenge but all of us must be proud of being able to offer this opportunity. At the end of the season I would like to see a good progression for the future ahead in order to have more riders and more possibilities in this sport.
“The best platform to start with is a single brand, and we’ve been discussing it informally with manufacturers already. We will start to define the details, but we expect something in a similar range to Supersport displacement. There has been a lot of interest but this is a project that is progressing, and can progress through the years to expand with different manufacturers, teams… we want to create a destination where female riders from around the world can join the Championship and find professional success. That means we can also explore new ways to promote the motorcycle industry. If we start from zero, we can be more creative. Like I said from my side, I will put in my full commitment to make it happen and to make it work at the standard that we want, and hopefully, we can be successful and enjoy it.”
Françoise Emery, FIM CEO: “We created a commission for women in motorcycling more than twenty years ago now so it is not really anything new in the FIM. We try to promote and support the women in motorcycle racing. What we try to do is offer female riders all opportunities and possibilities for them to ride, and as mentioned by the FIM President, we already have championships in Motocross, Enduro and Trial. So now we are pleased to launch a women’s Championship in circuit racing.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are used to making announcements in extraordinary Press Conferences, and today is an extraordinary one! After much reflection, we have taken a decision, along with the FIM, which is very important both for us and for the future of the motorcycling world.
“We’re very happy to announce this project and be part of this important initiative, the FIM Women’s Motorcycle Racing World Championship.”
Pure gold! Binder vs Miller vs Bagnaia lights up the Tissot Sprint in Spain
KTM put on a true showstopper as Bagnaia picks a late race pocket to complete his Saturday turnaround
Brad Binder (33) narrowly beat Francesco Bagnaia (1), Jack Miller (43), and Jorge Martin to the finish line in Saturday’s Sprint race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 29 April 2023
There’s racing, and there’s racing. MotoGP™ is in the business of the latter, and the Tissot Sprint at Jerez was another sublime showdown as 2023 continues to deliver. The same can be said of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as with the South African went toe-to-toe with teammate Jack Miller over the slightly shortened 11-lap dash, just able to edge clear on the final lap to his second Sprint win in four. Miller certainly made it a Thriller at the front, but the Australian was ultimately pipped to second by reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the final lap, heading ever-so-slightly wide and Pecco needing no second invitation.
The first start saw a crash bring out the red flag as Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was caught out by an incident between Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) also unable to avoid it. The riders were all ok and able to head back for the restart, but damaged bikes needed moving. Morbidelli was also then given a Long Lap for the contact, to be served on Sunday.
LIGHTS OUT = ELBOWS OUT
Ready to race? You bet. The KTMs attacked straight away on take two, with Binder grabbing the lead from Miller and both Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Bagnaia also slicing past polesitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). Martin then went for Miller, but it wasn’t long before the Aussie struck back, and the squabble offered Bagnaia his first pickpocketing opportunity of the afternoon as he slotted into third: Binder, Miller, Bagnaia and Martin were locked together.
Drama hit then for Alex Marquez as hit the gravel trap, and just one lap later and disaster struck for another Spaniard as Aleix Espargaro crashed out of a point-scoring position for the 3rd time in 2023. The polesitter was out of it, and both will try and reset for Sunday.
Miller took to the front by eight to go, however, and the duel was on. The KTMs still began to pull away from the two Ducatis though, and by four laps to go the gap was half a second. Meanwhile, Martin was riding all over the rear wheel of Bagnaia’s factory Ducati, as the reigning Champion seemed to struggle to hold onto the leading duo. Martin was desperate to find a way past the Italian as the number #1 was proving a tricky hurdle.
Brad Binder (33) leads Jorge Martin (89), Francesco Bagnaia (behind Martin), and Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Miller and Binder were ragged perfection in the lead though, sliding their way around Jerez circuit in a two-man show for a few laps. Binder looked ready to pounce, Miller held him off, the two blasted round in tandem and then the South African tried it once, denied, but twice, absolutely not shy. It looked like a lot to ask as the number 33 machine squirreled and headed in a little deep, but on the exit Binder sealed the deal, back into the lead with a lap and half to go.
From there, Binder had it pinned. There was no catching the South African this time, and instead the duel was now for second. The Ducatis had gained ground and Bagnaia lined up a move on Miller into the Pedrosa corner, with the Australian trying to resist on the brakes but overshooting it, giving the reigning Champion an opportunity he wouldn’t turn down.
Miller gathered it back up to avoid another duel with earlier sparring partner Martin, and the Australian didn’t quite get that win or make it a 1-2, but he definitely still stormed Jerez. Bagnaia’s second is an impressive turnaround from where his Saturday started in Q1 too.
DUELS, DUELS, DUELS
Fifth was also an incredibly close finish. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Racing Team) also had viewers glued to their screens as the Portuguese rider fended off the MotoGP™ Legend for 5th place… just.
Just 1.5 seconds further back Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had his hands full trying to defend his 7th place from Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing Ducati), but the Spaniard came out on top in that scrap leaving the Frenchman to settle for P8. The Mooney VR46 Racing riders were involved in an intense fight for the final point-scoring position in the Sprint too, in the end it was Bezzecchi who won the battle against Luca Marini to bag 9th place. Bezzecchi is now only three points clear of Pecco in the title fight…
After an incredible day of action at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España, MotoGP™ fans now have the opportunity to digest all of Saturday’s action before it all kicks off again on Sunday. If Saturday is anything to go by, you do not want to miss any on Sunday’s billing as the race gets underway at 15:00 local time (GMT +2)!
QUOTES: TOP 3
BRAD BINDER: “Today was a tough one, made sure I had a better start the second time around, went straight to the front but had to take it a bit easy to bring the tyres up, they felt a bit sketchy! As I started to get comfortable, I tried to stay super close to Jack ’cause he had great pace. To be able to fight to the end, push through and come home with the win is incredible. I need to say a massive thank you to my team, it’s fantastic to have both of us up on the podium. They’ve been working so incredibly hard and it’s paying off. I can’t tell them how much I appreciate it.”
PECCO BAGNAIA: “I’m very happy, this morning I was improving my feeling but it wasn’t enough. I was a bit behind and my team worked a lot to give me the maximum. I was losing a lot of time in Sector 3 but we managed to be competitive. It wasn’t easy for the hot conditions and the front tyre. But I’m really happy, to get more than this would have been difficult!”
JACK MILLER: “Mega race from Brad, we were having a good dice there! I murdered the drive part of the tyre and started suffering on the back straight, and I was just a sitting duck! Then I made a mistake on the last lap, went extra deep and had a couple of locks and let Pecco through, made it easy for him! So a bit disappointed but nah, stoked. I mean it’s the fourth race, we’ve been challenging but to be up here on the podium in the Sprint is nice, it’s my first experience of it. Awesome to see both the bikes up there! And Dani! It’s not only me, as we can see, we’ve got one of the best test riders in the world. He’s doing a fantastic job and the whole project’s really just taken a step this year and it’s awesome.”
Sam Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Lowes on a high in Jerez! The Brit takes dominant pole ahead of Acosta and Dixon
It’s not often we see a dominant performance in the tightly contested Moto2™ category, but this time it was Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) who blew away the field with an incredible 1:40.750 taking pole position by 0.578s. 2nd and 3rd place were decided in typical Moto2™ fashion, however, with just 0.002s between Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in 2nd place and Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the front row.
As always it was a hard-fought battle in Q1 as the Moto2™ riders toughed it for a chance at Q2 promotion. It was Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) who took top spot, dominating the session to take the first Q2 place. Fast laps came flying in at the end of the session and it was Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (Fieten Olie Racing GP), and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 MasterCamp) who joined the Japanese rider in securing Q2 promotion.
As the green flag dropped and Q2 got underway and it was Dixon who set the benchmark, leading the way from Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Lowes. It wasn’t long before Ogura put himself in the mix, slotting into 3rd place and demoting Lowes just before the final runs.
With four minutes to go the red sectors were coming in from Acosta, who then took over the top spot. The Spaniard’s time at the top didn’t last long however, as straight after Sam Lowes made some magic happen, pulling out a scintillating lap time to move the goalposts by over half a second. Despite efforts from the competition, Lowes’ lap stood and he will start the Spanish Grand Prix from pole!
Lopez bagged the first spot on the 2nd row in 4th, as he’ll line up ahead of Ogura. Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP) who bagged the final spot on the 2nd row in 6th.
The Moto2™ riders’ attention now turns to the race on Sunday, make sure not to miss any of the action as it commences at 13:15 local time (GMT +2)!
Deniz Öncü (53). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Öncü unstoppable to pip Ortola by a tenth
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was able to convert his superior Practice pace into pole position at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España, as 0.115s splits the Turk from second place Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) in Moto3™ qualifying. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) claimed P3, but the Spaniard suffered a Turn 13 crash at the end of the session. After going to the medical centre for a check-up, Muñoz was taken to the hospital for further examination and unfortunately later declared unfit after sustaining a left heel fracture, so he won’t be taking that third place on the grid.
After Q1 graduate Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) sat top of the pile for the first 10 minutes of the session, Öncü struck with just under four minutes to go. On his next flying lap, he moved the goalposts further, with that 1:45.668 too much for anyone else to beat. Öncü starts on pole for the first time since the 2022 San Marino GP, as Americas GP winner Ortola comes through Q1 to claim P2 having ended the second part of qualifying very strongly.
Qualifying in P3, Muñoz finished in front of Fenati, Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar) as half a second covers the top six in Jerez. Grid positions will move up as Muñoz sits it out though, putting World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) onto the second row.
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PrüstelGP) are next up, ahead of rookie Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completes the third row.
Second in the World Championship, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) starts P13 as he aims to make progress in Sunday’s race in order to not lose ground in the title chase…
Make sure you tune into the Moto3™ Spanish GP race at 12:00 local time (GMT+2)!
Turkish racer Deniz Öncü, riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo, earned pole position during Moto3 Qualifying Two (Q2) Saturday afternoon at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain.
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro, riding his factory Aprilia RS-GP, took pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain.
Aleix Espargaro denies Miller in frenetic pole position shootout at Jerez
From rain to slicks and near lap-record pace, Aleix said it best himself: “It’s been a crazy morning!” Buckle up for a wild qualifying ride…
Saturday, 29 April 2023
Saturday mornings don’t get much better than that! Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) will start the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix race from pole position at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España after coming out on top in an unbelievable Q2. Light rain fell at the start of the session but conditions improved dramatically to allow an all-time classic pole battle played out in Jerez. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) claim P2 and P3 respectively, with some other huge players left stranded well down the order.
Bezzecchi, Quartararo and Rins miss Q2 cut
Q1 was a star-studded affair as the top three in the World Championship, as well as Argentina Sprint winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) found themselves battling for two crucial spots in the pole position fight. Title leader Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set the early pace, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) P5 and P6 with five minutes to go.
It was all about to change as the second set of fresh rear soft tyres were slotted in. Bezzecchi improved his time at the top but Pecco moved the goalposts, before Binder then went P1. Bezzecchi was suddenly shoved to P3, but crucially he got one more bite at the cherry. Bezzecchi was 0.076s shy off Pecco’s time through the third split, and he couldn’t claw back any time in the final sector – Bezzecchi missed out on a Q2 place by 0.037s, as Pecco and Binder sailed into Q2. Elsewhere, Quartararo could only manage P6 in Q1, P16 on the grid, for his worst MotoGP™ qualifying in Jerez!
Rain DOESN’T stop play: a Q2 belter
As if we didn’t have enough drama already, the heavens opened as the chequered flag waved to signal the end of Q1. It was only light rain, but how much would it affect track conditions? We were about to find out. Binder was one of the riders who ventured out on wet tyres, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) another, while the others were lapping on slicks.
Interestingly, Marquez came straight into pitlane to change for slicks, while Binder chose to plough on. A 1:43.003 was Miller’s benchmark time and Bagnaia was an early second, 0.7s off, with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) in P3. Binder on the wet tyres slotted into P7, 3.7s away from teammate Miller.
Then, out on slick tyres, Alex Marquez suddenly shot to P1 to beat Miller’s effort by 0.328s. And on his next lap, Marquez went 0.9s faster as the times started to tumble. The riders were getting more comfortable and finding where the grip was, and heading into the final six minutes, red sector times were everywhere.
Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) then briefly went P1 before Aleix Espargaro was top. The latter’s time at the top didn’t last though as Marquez returned to P1 by 1.1s – a 1:39.944 was the new pole time to beat. Espargaro and Marquez exchanged P1 again, with the Ducati star now 0.2s clear.
It was all happening. Miller, lighting up the rear end on the damp patch on the exit of Turn 13, climbed back to the summit before Zarco then went provisional pole. Miller and Zarco improved again a minute and a half later, as Binder popped up to P3 after finally heading out on slick tyres.
Espargaro took it back, but Binder, Martin and Miller beat his time as the latter sat provisional pole. But Espargaro was coming on one last push. On his final flying lap, the Spaniard beat Miller by 0.2s to claim a dream home GP pole, as Miller and Martin complete the front row in a spellbinding MotoGP™ Q2.
The last rider round was hovering within a tenth, but couldn’t quite attack for pole: Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He’s on the second row though… right behind the reigning Champion.
How the top 12 are set for the Tissot Sprint and GP race
Binder comes through Q1 to claim a slightly ominous P4, with Bagnaia in fifth after a good rescue. MotoGP™ Legend Pedrosa will launch from that phenomenal P6, with Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team), Zarco and Marini on the third row.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Alex Marquez will start from P10, P11 and P12.
Does that whet your appetite for the Tissot Sprint this afternoon?* Tune into the Spanish GP Tissot Sprint at 15:00 local time (GMT+2)!
Aron Canet, riding his Pons Wegow Los40 Kalex, broke the All-Time Lap Record during Moto2 Free Practice Three (FP3) Saturday morning at Jerez. Canet turned a 1:40.640, breaking Remy Gardner’s 2021 lap record of 1:40.667.
American’s Joe Roberts and Sean Dylan Kelly (SDK) were 21st and 23rd, respectively, in FP3.
Wyatt Farris set a blistering new overall motorcycle track record at 1:29.666 on his Motorsport Exotica/BST Vodka BMW M 1000 RR during final CRA CTML Gold Cup qualifying Saturday on the Podium Club At Attesa road course, located in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Bryce Prince was second-quickest at 1:31.181 on his BPR Yamaha YZF-R1. Rounding out the top three was Anthony Norton, with a 1:31.247 on his Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Piqueras wins last corner battle with Roulstone and Quiles to take Jerez Rookies Race 1
A third win in a row hides just how hard Angel Piqueras is battling for his advantage in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The 16-year-old Spaniard was passed by Jacob Roulstone into the last corner but the 18-year-old Australian drifted wide, bumped KTMs with Álvaro Carpe and only just held off Màximo Quiles on the run to the line.
15-year-old Spaniard Carpe was furious about the coming together, lost concentration and lost a podium place as fellow countryman, 15-year-old Quiles flashed past having recovered from a late long lap penalty after battling for the lead for most of the race.
Angel Piqueras on 3 going for 4
“I felt really confident going into the race, I felt confident yesterday in Qualifying and I knew I could have a good race. We did change the front a little after Quali and that worked well.”
“It was a hard race, I’m tired now because it was hard work and I need to enjoy this moment because it is now 3 wins in a row.”
Can you make it 4 in a row? “Yes,” he nodded with a grin.
Màximo Quiles with the pace to win
“Yes I was pretty fast, I am happy with that. I am a bit angry because I had to make the long lap and I only realised it quite late. I did it just 2 laps before the finish but I still fought back, I expected that they might bump each other in the last corner so I opened my line a bit going in so I could cut back and get the good drive and slipstream to the line.”
“The bike was great and I plan to race just as hard tomorrow.”
Jacob Roulstone missed the gear and the win
“I am very happy that all the hard work is paying off and I was very confident going into Qualifying and the race. After 5 laps I was struggling a bit to stay with the lead group, I just decided to calm down to hit my marks and I managed to catch back up.”
“I felt really good, passed Carpe and went for it into the last turn inside Piqueras, I miss-shifted into 2nd when I thought I was in 1st. So I didn’t have the drive, Piqueras passed me and bumped with Carpe which he was not happy with, I’m not a dirt rider, I don’t know if he expected me just to let him through but I am not here to make him happy.”
“I’m just focussed on tomorrow, the bike is working well, I was having quite a lot of moments but they were controllable moments.”
Álvaro Carpe lost concentration and podium place
“It was a hot and very hard race. In the last corner, I had an accident with another rider, it cost one place in the classification, I’m not happy with what happened, but this is racing and tomorrow I will do better.”
“Tomorrow will be better, I have had a very good feeling with the bike all weekend and I want to thank the staff for their support and I want to fight for the win.”
Rico Salmela fought back
“The start of the race was quite difficult,” stated the 15-year-old Finn. “I started from P11, in the first corners I was struggling a bit and at the end of the first lap, I was P16. Then in the middle of the race, I started to make some progress and in the last laps I caught Casey and Ruche and in the last lap I was able to overtake Ruche for P5.”
“I’m quite happy with the comeback I made but tomorrow I want to work more on the first laps to get in the lead group as I have to fight for the podium. It’s good for the championship as I am now P3.
Ruche Moodley will better his 6th
“I pushed really hard to stay with the front group but I was really on the limit and when I lost them I struggled to keep my rhythm. I’m a little bit disappointed that I lost the front group but it’s my best position so far in the Rookies Cup and tomorrow I know what to do differently to stay with them.”
“I know two things that I can work on, in Sector 3 with my riding and I will talk to the guys about changing the bike because I had a lot of sliding on the rear,” explained the 16-year-old South African
Casey O’Gorman 10th after late error
“I was just dropping off the back of the lead group and I made a mistake, touched an inside kerb with my front, it tucked, I saved it but then the rear came round and I lost so much time.”
“I struggled a lot with the heat and the sliding but the bike is good and hopefully when it is a bit cooler tomorrow morning it will be better,” asserted the 15-year-old Irishman.
Marco Morelli 11th
“I made some mistakes in the race and that cost me a lot, this is why I didn’t stay in the front group but I will learn and do a better job tomorrow,” explained the 15-year-old Argentinian who had qualified 2nd.
Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.
Race 2 is on Sunday at 09:30, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.
Herfoss Storms to Pole as Dunker Writes His Name Into History Books
ALPINESTARS SUPERBIKE
Penrite Honda rider, Troy Herfoss, picked up where he left off on day one, as he claimed AMX Superstores pole position for the two, 16-lap races on Sunday afternoon. Herfoss had already reset the ASBK Superbike lap record once during Free Practice Four, however on his way to pole position he lowered the benchmark again, laying down a blistering 1:07.655.
After the challenges of the past two years, it’s a welcome return to the number one grid slot for Herfoss – Today’s pole position is his twelfth in his ASBK career and his first since round two 2021. Herfoss is back, proving that his win at the 2022 season finale was no fluke. His rivals should be worried. Herfoss has been the pace-setter in three of the four practice sessions as well as the major qualifying session, and been the most consistent of any rider on the grid as he has gone about the task of getting back to the top. His qualifying performance was a huge warning shot that he his back to his most determined mood – a scary thought for his opponents.
“It’s been an extremely long road back for me with many challenges along the way”, explained Herfoss. “I feel that I am back to 100% as the team has really been working hard for me to get back to this point. We are all working very well together. I am hoping that this weekend is not a one-off, but I am feeling extremely fit and confident about the rest of the season ahead. I know it’s a long shot but this weekend, I have the opportunity to shrink the points gap to Josh [Waters]. It’s been a long road back to get to this point, but I am confident that I am back to where I have been working towards.”
Defending champion, Mike Jones found a little extra to be second on the grid just 0.104 secs adrift of the Penrite Honda man. The corresponding round at the same venue, last year, was where Jones set the foundations for his title challenge. Come race day there is another mindset to the three-time Aussie champion and he will be a major threat as he is a major “race day” rider.
Fellow Yamaha Racing Team rider, Cru Halliday even with two off-track excursions at the final turn in his efforts to grab the top spot and the all-important championship point – claimed the last spot on the front row. 2023 has been a turnaround for Halliday. Apart from a crash in the opening race of the year at Phillip Island where he had to take evasive action to avoid a major incident, his worst result in the other four races has been third place. Halliday is a true title threat in 2023.
Three-time ASBK champion Josh Waters has had a challenging weekend that was compounded with a crash in Q1 but he bounced back to be fourth overall. The important equation for Waters and the McMartin Racing Team is to leave the round with as many points as possible in preparation for the next round at Darwin in mid-June.
Besides Herfoss’ impressive performance, the stand-out of the session was Max Stauffer who scored his best qualifying result in the fifth spot in the Alpinestars Superbike class as he will be in the middle of the second row for tomorrow’s two races.
The remainder of the Top Ten are Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) in sixth from fellow BMW rider, Ted Collins (Livson Racing), Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati) in eighth spot, Bryan Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) in ninth and Anthony West (Addicted To Track Yamaha) in tenth.
MICHELIN SUPERSPORT
Cameron Dunker – at the ripe old age of 15 – continues to re-write the history books in his first year in the class. There’s no denying the kid’s talent. Since he has turned his talent to road racing after winning five Australian dirt track titles, he has won the Oceania Junior Cup and in 2022 took out the double winning the Supersport 300 Championship as well as the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup.
At the previous round at Sydney Motorsport – in just his fifth race in the class – Cam won the second Michelin Supersport race in wet and challenging conditions, to become the youngest winner of a race in the class and backed it up today by becoming the youngest rider to claim a Michelin Supersport pole position. The diminutive teenager is a class act with an extremely promising future. It would be no surprise if he takes another win tomorrow but there are plenty willing to upset his applecart.
One of those riders is Tom Bramich who qualified second fastest on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Tom has been in the class for a couple of years after tasting international competition but with his best qualifying result in the class has shown that he is not too far from knocking on the door of a race win. Third fastest was championship leader, Ty Lynch who went about his task without any fanfare but continued to chip away in his usual way. While Ty is not one to make any excuses, he is still recovering from injuries he suffered last year. As is the case with all of the gladiators of ASBK, once he is on the bike and on track all the discomfort is erased from his mind as he goes about the job at hand.
Leading the way on the second row of the grid is Olly Simpson from South Australia. Simpson is one of Australia’s most underrated riders as he has entered his local round at the Bend in recent years but for 2023 he – and his two brothers, Mitch and Jordie – are contesting every round. The Simpson trio have regularly featured in the podium positions throughout the opening rounds, look for this trend to continue tomorrow.
Fifth fastest is Jack Passfield from NSW with Jake Farnsworth rounding out the second row of the grid for the two 14-lap races ahead of the field tomorrow.
SUPERSPORT 300 AND YAMAHA FINANCE R3 CUP
The support classes of the Supersport 300 Championship, the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup each contested one race this afternoon with two races for each class tomorrow.
The Supersport 300 and R3 Cup provide another piece of history in Australian road racing when teenager, Marcus Hamod from Wollongong (NSW) doubled up and broke through for his first victories. The first win in the R3 Cup of eight laps was extremely emotional for the youngster as he held off the attention of his opposition in a typical drag to the line to deny Henry Snell with series leader Brandon Demmery coming home in third. It was a typical, frantic last lap for the class with six riders crossing the line within half a second!
The Supersport 300 class was the last race of the day and it was more of the same – Action aplenty. With the massive boost of confidence from the earlier race win, Hamod again managed to win the slipstream duel to the finish line. Demonstrating his level of cunning aboard a motorcycle, he rode a unique line through the final corner to carry the momentum and negate any threats from his rivals as he set a new lap record on the way to victory. Brandon Demmery and Brodie Gawith rounded out the podium as pole sitter Cameron Swain was an agonising 0.044 of a second away from some silverware.
BLU CRU OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
A no-holds-barred race to open the account for our juniors. Leading one moment, being shuffled back to outside the top five the next – Welcome to OJC. Fans around Queensland Raceway were treated to an enthralling race, proving the class is a real winner for unearthing talent.
The short, sharp six-lap dash concluded with Bodie Paige taking the opening race of the weekend. Archie Schmidt climbed from the second row to finish second while it was a solid points-scoring day for Riley Nauta, as he looks to build on his current third place in the championship standings.
(From left) Françoise Emery, FIM CEO; Jorge Viegas, FIM President; Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports; and Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director, as seen in 2023 at the launch of the FIM Women Circuit Racing World Championship. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Introducing: the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship
A new project is announced by the FIM and Dorna Sports
Saturday, 29 April 2023
The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosted a very special presentation on Saturday as the FIM and Dorna Sports announced a new project: the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship. The new competition is intended to widen access to the sport of motorcycle racing for women and create a platform of representation for female riders.
On launch in 2024, the initial series will primarily run alongside the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The target for the first season is at least six rounds, with two races to take place per round. The grid will race on equal machinery, with a single motorcycle supplier to be announced in due course.
The new Championship aims to create opportunities for female riders who are already competing – providing an environment in which they can build a professional, viable career in motorcycle racing – and looks to lay the groundwork for more equal representation across all motorcycling paddocks of the future. Providing a positive example for prospective female competitors, the series will further underline that motorcycling is a sport for all to enjoy, on and off track.
Jorge Viegas, FIM President: “This is the first time ever, since 1904, that we are going to start next year with the FIM Women’s World Championship. I also hope you like the logo, it’s a surprise for all of you!
“We gave a lot of thought to this, and we had a lot of demand. As we do in Motocross, Enduro and Trial, we are starting with a women’s World Championship next year in circuit racing. Our plan is to have six races in Europe, and we are planning to do a single brand competition. We will try to have women from all over the world racing in this new Championship. It will be organised primarily within the frame of the WorldSBK Championship.
“It’s a Championship where we want women to be pro. It’s not a step to another category, we want women who race here to be able to earn a wage as a rider, as professionals. We hope to start in March or April next year.”
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “When I was informed about this project and its possibilities I took a lot of interest and had a lot of enthusiasm. Currently, we thought that the World Superbike platform could be one of the places to start this project, but it doesn’t mean that it could only be in Superbike. It’s within Dorna, so we will see how this develops.
“We don’t have all the details yet, this is a live project, evolving all the time. It’s important that we expand the opportunities available, and especially seeing a lot of Cups and projects that we’ve started, I think it’s a big challenge but all of us must be proud of being able to offer this opportunity. At the end of the season I would like to see a good progression for the future ahead in order to have more riders and more possibilities in this sport.
“The best platform to start with is a single brand, and we’ve been discussing it informally with manufacturers already. We will start to define the details, but we expect something in a similar range to Supersport displacement. There has been a lot of interest but this is a project that is progressing, and can progress through the years to expand with different manufacturers, teams… we want to create a destination where female riders from around the world can join the Championship and find professional success. That means we can also explore new ways to promote the motorcycle industry. If we start from zero, we can be more creative. Like I said from my side, I will put in my full commitment to make it happen and to make it work at the standard that we want, and hopefully, we can be successful and enjoy it.”
Françoise Emery, FIM CEO: “We created a commission for women in motorcycling more than twenty years ago now so it is not really anything new in the FIM. We try to promote and support the women in motorcycle racing. What we try to do is offer female riders all opportunities and possibilities for them to ride, and as mentioned by the FIM President, we already have championships in Motocross, Enduro and Trial. So now we are pleased to launch a women’s Championship in circuit racing.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are used to making announcements in extraordinary Press Conferences, and today is an extraordinary one! After much reflection, we have taken a decision, along with the FIM, which is very important both for us and for the future of the motorcycling world.
“We’re very happy to announce this project and be part of this important initiative, the FIM Women’s Motorcycle Racing World Championship.”
Pure gold! Binder vs Miller vs Bagnaia lights up the Tissot Sprint in Spain
KTM put on a true showstopper as Bagnaia picks a late race pocket to complete his Saturday turnaround
Brad Binder (33) narrowly beat Francesco Bagnaia (1), Jack Miller (43), and Jorge Martin to the finish line in Saturday’s Sprint race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 29 April 2023
There’s racing, and there’s racing. MotoGP™ is in the business of the latter, and the Tissot Sprint at Jerez was another sublime showdown as 2023 continues to deliver. The same can be said of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as with the South African went toe-to-toe with teammate Jack Miller over the slightly shortened 11-lap dash, just able to edge clear on the final lap to his second Sprint win in four. Miller certainly made it a Thriller at the front, but the Australian was ultimately pipped to second by reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the final lap, heading ever-so-slightly wide and Pecco needing no second invitation.
The first start saw a crash bring out the red flag as Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was caught out by an incident between Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) also unable to avoid it. The riders were all ok and able to head back for the restart, but damaged bikes needed moving. Morbidelli was also then given a Long Lap for the contact, to be served on Sunday.
LIGHTS OUT = ELBOWS OUT
Ready to race? You bet. The KTMs attacked straight away on take two, with Binder grabbing the lead from Miller and both Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Bagnaia also slicing past polesitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). Martin then went for Miller, but it wasn’t long before the Aussie struck back, and the squabble offered Bagnaia his first pickpocketing opportunity of the afternoon as he slotted into third: Binder, Miller, Bagnaia and Martin were locked together.
Drama hit then for Alex Marquez as hit the gravel trap, and just one lap later and disaster struck for another Spaniard as Aleix Espargaro crashed out of a point-scoring position for the 3rd time in 2023. The polesitter was out of it, and both will try and reset for Sunday.
Miller took to the front by eight to go, however, and the duel was on. The KTMs still began to pull away from the two Ducatis though, and by four laps to go the gap was half a second. Meanwhile, Martin was riding all over the rear wheel of Bagnaia’s factory Ducati, as the reigning Champion seemed to struggle to hold onto the leading duo. Martin was desperate to find a way past the Italian as the number #1 was proving a tricky hurdle.
Brad Binder (33) leads Jorge Martin (89), Francesco Bagnaia (behind Martin), and Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Miller and Binder were ragged perfection in the lead though, sliding their way around Jerez circuit in a two-man show for a few laps. Binder looked ready to pounce, Miller held him off, the two blasted round in tandem and then the South African tried it once, denied, but twice, absolutely not shy. It looked like a lot to ask as the number 33 machine squirreled and headed in a little deep, but on the exit Binder sealed the deal, back into the lead with a lap and half to go.
From there, Binder had it pinned. There was no catching the South African this time, and instead the duel was now for second. The Ducatis had gained ground and Bagnaia lined up a move on Miller into the Pedrosa corner, with the Australian trying to resist on the brakes but overshooting it, giving the reigning Champion an opportunity he wouldn’t turn down.
Miller gathered it back up to avoid another duel with earlier sparring partner Martin, and the Australian didn’t quite get that win or make it a 1-2, but he definitely still stormed Jerez. Bagnaia’s second is an impressive turnaround from where his Saturday started in Q1 too.
DUELS, DUELS, DUELS
Fifth was also an incredibly close finish. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Racing Team) also had viewers glued to their screens as the Portuguese rider fended off the MotoGP™ Legend for 5th place… just.
Just 1.5 seconds further back Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had his hands full trying to defend his 7th place from Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing Ducati), but the Spaniard came out on top in that scrap leaving the Frenchman to settle for P8. The Mooney VR46 Racing riders were involved in an intense fight for the final point-scoring position in the Sprint too, in the end it was Bezzecchi who won the battle against Luca Marini to bag 9th place. Bezzecchi is now only three points clear of Pecco in the title fight…
After an incredible day of action at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España, MotoGP™ fans now have the opportunity to digest all of Saturday’s action before it all kicks off again on Sunday. If Saturday is anything to go by, you do not want to miss any on Sunday’s billing as the race gets underway at 15:00 local time (GMT +2)!
QUOTES: TOP 3
BRAD BINDER: “Today was a tough one, made sure I had a better start the second time around, went straight to the front but had to take it a bit easy to bring the tyres up, they felt a bit sketchy! As I started to get comfortable, I tried to stay super close to Jack ’cause he had great pace. To be able to fight to the end, push through and come home with the win is incredible. I need to say a massive thank you to my team, it’s fantastic to have both of us up on the podium. They’ve been working so incredibly hard and it’s paying off. I can’t tell them how much I appreciate it.”
PECCO BAGNAIA: “I’m very happy, this morning I was improving my feeling but it wasn’t enough. I was a bit behind and my team worked a lot to give me the maximum. I was losing a lot of time in Sector 3 but we managed to be competitive. It wasn’t easy for the hot conditions and the front tyre. But I’m really happy, to get more than this would have been difficult!”
JACK MILLER: “Mega race from Brad, we were having a good dice there! I murdered the drive part of the tyre and started suffering on the back straight, and I was just a sitting duck! Then I made a mistake on the last lap, went extra deep and had a couple of locks and let Pecco through, made it easy for him! So a bit disappointed but nah, stoked. I mean it’s the fourth race, we’ve been challenging but to be up here on the podium in the Sprint is nice, it’s my first experience of it. Awesome to see both the bikes up there! And Dani! It’s not only me, as we can see, we’ve got one of the best test riders in the world. He’s doing a fantastic job and the whole project’s really just taken a step this year and it’s awesome.”
Sam Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Lowes on a high in Jerez! The Brit takes dominant pole ahead of Acosta and Dixon
It’s not often we see a dominant performance in the tightly contested Moto2™ category, but this time it was Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) who blew away the field with an incredible 1:40.750 taking pole position by 0.578s. 2nd and 3rd place were decided in typical Moto2™ fashion, however, with just 0.002s between Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in 2nd place and Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the front row.
As always it was a hard-fought battle in Q1 as the Moto2™ riders toughed it for a chance at Q2 promotion. It was Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) who took top spot, dominating the session to take the first Q2 place. Fast laps came flying in at the end of the session and it was Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (Fieten Olie Racing GP), and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 MasterCamp) who joined the Japanese rider in securing Q2 promotion.
As the green flag dropped and Q2 got underway and it was Dixon who set the benchmark, leading the way from Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Lowes. It wasn’t long before Ogura put himself in the mix, slotting into 3rd place and demoting Lowes just before the final runs.
With four minutes to go the red sectors were coming in from Acosta, who then took over the top spot. The Spaniard’s time at the top didn’t last long however, as straight after Sam Lowes made some magic happen, pulling out a scintillating lap time to move the goalposts by over half a second. Despite efforts from the competition, Lowes’ lap stood and he will start the Spanish Grand Prix from pole!
Lopez bagged the first spot on the 2nd row in 4th, as he’ll line up ahead of Ogura. Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP) who bagged the final spot on the 2nd row in 6th.
The Moto2™ riders’ attention now turns to the race on Sunday, make sure not to miss any of the action as it commences at 13:15 local time (GMT +2)!
Deniz Öncü (53). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Öncü unstoppable to pip Ortola by a tenth
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was able to convert his superior Practice pace into pole position at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España, as 0.115s splits the Turk from second place Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) in Moto3™ qualifying. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) claimed P3, but the Spaniard suffered a Turn 13 crash at the end of the session. After going to the medical centre for a check-up, Muñoz was taken to the hospital for further examination and unfortunately later declared unfit after sustaining a left heel fracture, so he won’t be taking that third place on the grid.
After Q1 graduate Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) sat top of the pile for the first 10 minutes of the session, Öncü struck with just under four minutes to go. On his next flying lap, he moved the goalposts further, with that 1:45.668 too much for anyone else to beat. Öncü starts on pole for the first time since the 2022 San Marino GP, as Americas GP winner Ortola comes through Q1 to claim P2 having ended the second part of qualifying very strongly.
Qualifying in P3, Muñoz finished in front of Fenati, Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar) as half a second covers the top six in Jerez. Grid positions will move up as Muñoz sits it out though, putting World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) onto the second row.
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PrüstelGP) are next up, ahead of rookie Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completes the third row.
Second in the World Championship, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) starts P13 as he aims to make progress in Sunday’s race in order to not lose ground in the title chase…
Make sure you tune into the Moto3™ Spanish GP race at 12:00 local time (GMT+2)!
Turkish racer Deniz Öncü, riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo, earned pole position during Moto3 Qualifying Two (Q2) Saturday afternoon at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain.
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro, riding his factory Aprilia RS-GP, took pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain.
Aleix Espargaro denies Miller in frenetic pole position shootout at Jerez
From rain to slicks and near lap-record pace, Aleix said it best himself: “It’s been a crazy morning!” Buckle up for a wild qualifying ride…
Saturday, 29 April 2023
Saturday mornings don’t get much better than that! Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) will start the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix race from pole position at the Gran Premio MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn de España after coming out on top in an unbelievable Q2. Light rain fell at the start of the session but conditions improved dramatically to allow an all-time classic pole battle played out in Jerez. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) claim P2 and P3 respectively, with some other huge players left stranded well down the order.
Bezzecchi, Quartararo and Rins miss Q2 cut
Q1 was a star-studded affair as the top three in the World Championship, as well as Argentina Sprint winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) found themselves battling for two crucial spots in the pole position fight. Title leader Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) set the early pace, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) P5 and P6 with five minutes to go.
It was all about to change as the second set of fresh rear soft tyres were slotted in. Bezzecchi improved his time at the top but Pecco moved the goalposts, before Binder then went P1. Bezzecchi was suddenly shoved to P3, but crucially he got one more bite at the cherry. Bezzecchi was 0.076s shy off Pecco’s time through the third split, and he couldn’t claw back any time in the final sector – Bezzecchi missed out on a Q2 place by 0.037s, as Pecco and Binder sailed into Q2. Elsewhere, Quartararo could only manage P6 in Q1, P16 on the grid, for his worst MotoGP™ qualifying in Jerez!
Rain DOESN’T stop play: a Q2 belter
As if we didn’t have enough drama already, the heavens opened as the chequered flag waved to signal the end of Q1. It was only light rain, but how much would it affect track conditions? We were about to find out. Binder was one of the riders who ventured out on wet tyres, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) another, while the others were lapping on slicks.
Interestingly, Marquez came straight into pitlane to change for slicks, while Binder chose to plough on. A 1:43.003 was Miller’s benchmark time and Bagnaia was an early second, 0.7s off, with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) in P3. Binder on the wet tyres slotted into P7, 3.7s away from teammate Miller.
Then, out on slick tyres, Alex Marquez suddenly shot to P1 to beat Miller’s effort by 0.328s. And on his next lap, Marquez went 0.9s faster as the times started to tumble. The riders were getting more comfortable and finding where the grip was, and heading into the final six minutes, red sector times were everywhere.
Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) then briefly went P1 before Aleix Espargaro was top. The latter’s time at the top didn’t last though as Marquez returned to P1 by 1.1s – a 1:39.944 was the new pole time to beat. Espargaro and Marquez exchanged P1 again, with the Ducati star now 0.2s clear.
It was all happening. Miller, lighting up the rear end on the damp patch on the exit of Turn 13, climbed back to the summit before Zarco then went provisional pole. Miller and Zarco improved again a minute and a half later, as Binder popped up to P3 after finally heading out on slick tyres.
Espargaro took it back, but Binder, Martin and Miller beat his time as the latter sat provisional pole. But Espargaro was coming on one last push. On his final flying lap, the Spaniard beat Miller by 0.2s to claim a dream home GP pole, as Miller and Martin complete the front row in a spellbinding MotoGP™ Q2.
The last rider round was hovering within a tenth, but couldn’t quite attack for pole: Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He’s on the second row though… right behind the reigning Champion.
How the top 12 are set for the Tissot Sprint and GP race
Binder comes through Q1 to claim a slightly ominous P4, with Bagnaia in fifth after a good rescue. MotoGP™ Legend Pedrosa will launch from that phenomenal P6, with Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team), Zarco and Marini on the third row.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Alex Marquez will start from P10, P11 and P12.
Does that whet your appetite for the Tissot Sprint this afternoon?* Tune into the Spanish GP Tissot Sprint at 15:00 local time (GMT+2)!
Aron Canet, riding his Pons Wegow Los40 Kalex, broke the All-Time Lap Record during Moto2 Free Practice Three (FP3) Saturday morning at Jerez. Canet turned a 1:40.640, breaking Remy Gardner’s 2021 lap record of 1:40.667.
American’s Joe Roberts and Sean Dylan Kelly (SDK) were 21st and 23rd, respectively, in FP3.
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November 12, 2026
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