Arenas wins Moto3™ barnstormer in Spain

The riders were line astern but coming down the back straight, it was almost disaster for Arbolino. The Italian was in the slipstream and went to the inside, accidentally caught the grass and the bike spat him out the seat. A scary, scary moment that could have ended more than just Arbolino’s race, but thankfully it was a lucky escape. Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was a man on a mission – back of the grid to P10 on the opening three laps.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Unstoppable: Granado takes MotoE™ honours in Jerez

Ferrari and Aegerter – who steps on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 2014 – join the 2019 third-place Cup finisher on the Jerez rostrum, with Tulovic unlucky to miss out on a debut podium. Matteo Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) finished less than a second away from the podium in P5, as Jordi Torres brought his Pons Racing 40 Energica Ego Corsa home in P6 – a solid effort from the rookie. Medina lost out on the last lap as himself and Torres ran wide at Dani Pedrosa corner, with Xavier Simeon (LCR E-Team), Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completed the top 10 in Jerez.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

“I’ll try my maximum to ride next week” – Rins ruled unfit

Dr. Xavier Mir – MotoGP™ Traumatologist: “After the crash, Alex underwent an MRI scan at the Hospital Jerez Puerta del Sur and this confirmed some injuries such as the muscle and ligament damage, and fracture to the shoulder. Furthermore, he presents an injury in one of the rotary tendons of the shoulder. This means it is a multiple injury with a potentially long recovery time. We decided he should not need surgery, and instead he will begin magnetotherapy to reduce the edema. He will also have assisted rehab with electro stimulation in order to try and race next week. We agreed that it will be impossible to race today, and Dr. Charte administered some more powerful analgesics.”

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Marquez and two Yamahas split by 0.076 on Sunday morning

At the end of the session, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took a nasty tumble at Turn 8. The front washed out from underneath the Brit but thankfully Crutchlow was back up on his feet, albeit slowly. The number 35 went to the medical centre for a check-up, before the team confirmed he has headed to Jerez hospital for further checks. 

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Lowes beats Marini to Warm Up P1

Top 10:
1. Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) – 1:41.561
2. Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.071
3. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.095
4. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.137
5. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.213
6. Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) + 0.245
7. Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) + 0.288
8. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.414
9. Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) + 0.500
10. Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) + 0.533

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Suzuki three-tenths clear in Moto3™ Warm Up

Gran Premio Red Bull de España Moto3™ polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) has kicked off Sunday’s lightweight class proceedings by topping the Warm Up timesheets with a 1:46.250. Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü finished 0.3 behind the Japanese rider in second, with Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) up inside the top three.

Source: MotoGP.comRead Full Article Here

Pillion dies in three-vehicle crash

A female pillion rider in her 40s has died in a three-vehicle crash in Sydney’s south west today (19 July 2020) and the ride has been rushed to hospital.

Police say the accident about 10am on Moorebank Avenue, near Church Road, Moorebank, involved two cars and a motorcycle.

The motorcycle rider, a man believed to be aged in his 30s, was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition.

The pillion, a woman believed to be aged in her 40s, died at the scene.

The driver of a Lexus, a 36-year-old man, and the driver of a Mazda, a 43-year-old man, were both uninjured and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit attended and examined the scene.

Investigators are appealing to motorists who witnessed the crash or who may have dash cam vision to come forward.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the woman killed in the crash and our best wishes to the rider for a full and speedy recovery.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

2020 MotoGP Jerez Sunday Race Day Guide | Schedule

2020 MotoGP Jerez Sunday Guide


MotoGP

Fabio Quartararo has qualified on pole position for the second successive time in MotoGP at Jerez, setting a new all-time lap record at the track.

Fabio Quartararo – P1

With his seventh pole position, Quartararo moves above Christian Sarron as the French rider with the most pole positions in the premier class of Grand Prix racing.

If Fabio Quartararo wins the race in Spain (21 years and 90 days old), he will be the eigthth youngest rider to win a premier class Grand Prix race, ahead of Valentino Rossi (21 years and 144 days old) at the 2000 British GP.

If Quartararo wins, it will be 20 years and 304 days since compatriot Regis Laconi won the most recent premier class race for France at Valencia in 1999.

Fabio Quartararo – P1

This is the fourth successive pole position for a Yamaha rider in MotoGP, which is the longest sequence of pole positions for Yamaha since 2010 (five times in a row from Silverstone to Laguna Seca with Jorge Lorenzo).

Over their last 18 previous pole positions, the Yamaha rider who got pole failed to win the MotoGP race; the last rider who did it was Maverick Viñales in Le Mans in 2017.

Viñales, who finished third last year in Jerez, has qualified in second place, which is his best qualifying result since Malaysia last year, when he was on his way to winning the race. He will be aiming to reach the milestone of 2000 points scored in Grand Prix racing and become the 16th rider to do so. He has 1985.

Maverick Vinales – P2

Marc Marquez has qualified in third place as last year in Jerez. Since he stepped up to MotoGP in 2013, he has always been on the podium at Jerez, including three wins (two over the last two years). He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the 17th successive time to equal Mick Doohan (Australia/1994 – Japan/1995).

Francesco Bagnaia has qualified in fourth place as the highest-placed Ducati rider, which is his best qualifying result in MotoGP. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the first time in the class and to become the first Ducati rider to do so at Jerez since Jorge Lorenzo, who was third back in 2017.

Jack Miller has qualified in fifth place, which the third successive time he has qualified within the top six. In addition, this is his best qualifying result in Jerez in the class.

Jack Miller will start from P5

Cal Crutchlow, who was on pole in 2018, has qualified in sixth as the second Honda rider, which is his best qualifying since Malaysia last year.

After passing through Q1, Pol Espargaro has qualified in seventh as the highest-placed KTM rider, which the best qualifying result the Austrian manufacturer in Jerez.

Andrea Dovizioso has qualified eighth place. In his 12 previous appearances at Jerez, Dovizioso never started from the front row neither stood on the podium; his best qualifying position and result across the line both being fourth.

The most successful rider in the premier class at Jerez with seven wins, Valentino Rossi has qualified in 11th. This is the second successive time he failed to qualify within the top 10 at the track.

Joan Mir has qualified 12th for the second successive time at Jerez. Last year he crashed out.

MotoGP Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Fabio QUARTARARO YAMAHA Q2 1m36.705
2 Maverick VIÑALES YAMAHA Q2 +0.139
3 Marc MARQUEZ HONDA Q2 +0.157
4 Francesco BAGNAIA DUCATI Q2 +0.250
5 Jack MILLER DUCATI Q2 +0.748
6 Cal CRUTCHLOW HONDA Q2 +0.749
7 Pol ESPARGARO KTM Q2 +0.788
8 Andrea DOVIZIOSO DUCATI Q2 +0.830
9 Alex RINS SUZUKI Q2 +0.931
10 Franco MORBIDELLI YAMAHA Q2 +0.969
11 Valentino ROSSI YAMAHA Q2 +1.036
12 Joan MIR SUZUKI Q2 +1.079
13 Brad BINDER KTM Q1 (*) 0.333
14 Danilo PETRUCCI DUCATI Q1 (*) 0.360
15 Takaaki NAKAGAMI HONDA Q1 (*) 0.371
16 Aleix ESPARGARO APRILIA Q1 (*) 0.877
17 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM Q1 (*) 0.901
18 Bradley SMITH APRILIA Q1 (*) 0.903
19 Tito RABAT DUCATI Q1 (*) 0.966
20 Johann ZARCO DUCATI Q1 (*) 1.043
21 Alex MARQUEZ HONDA Q1 (*) 1.193
22 Iker LECUONA KTM Q1 (*) 1.449

Moto2

Jorge Martin has qualified on pole position for the first time since he stepped up in Moto2 last year. He became the 10th rider who has qualified in both Moto2 and Moto3.

Kalex riders have won the last eight Moto2 races that have been held in Jerez.

Polesitter last year at Jerez, Jorge Navarro has qualified in second place as the highest-placed Speed Up rider. This is Navarro’s best qualifying result since he was on pole position last year in Valencia. On his six previous front row starts, he went on to finish four times on the podium but still aiming for his maiden win in Moto2.

After missing the race in Qatar, Sam Lowes, who won at Jerez in Moto2 back in 2016, has qualified in third place. This is Lowes’ first front row start since he was second at Brno last year (he crashed out of that race).

Luca Marini has qualified in fourth place, which the third successive time he has qualified within the top six. His best result at Jerez in Moto2 is a fifth-place finish in 2015.

Marini’s team-mate, Marco Bezzecchi, has qualified in fifth place, which is his best qualifying result since he stepped in Moto2 last year.

Aron Canet has qualified in sixth as the top rookie and second place non-Kalex rider; this is his best qualifying result in his rookie season. In 2017, in Moto3, he won his very first race of his GP career in Jerez.

Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima has qualified in eighth (his best qualifying result since he was second in Malaysia last year) and will be aiming to become the first Japanese rider to take back-to-back intermediate class win since MotoGP Legend Daijiro Kato in 2001 on his way to clinching the title.

Last two year’s winner in Jerez, Lorenzo Baldassarri has qualified in 10th. Baldassarri could become the first rider to win more than twice in the intermediate category at Jerez.

Moto2 front row
1 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex 1’41.384
2 Jorge Navarro – HDR Heidrun Speed Up – Speed Up +0.181
3 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex – +0.300

Moto2 Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Jorge MARTIN KALEX Q2 1m41.384
2 Jorge NAVARRO SPEED UP Q2 +0.181
3 Sam LOWES KALEX Q2 +0.300
4 Luca MARINI KALEX Q2 +0.323
5 Marco BEZZECCHI KALEX Q2 +0.338
6 Aron CANET SPEED UP Q2 +0.466
7 Marcel SCHROTTER KALEX Q2 +0.485
8 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA KALEX Q2 +0.505
9 Xavi VIERGE KALEX Q2 +0.595
10 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI KALEX Q2 +0.626
11 Enea BASTIANINI KALEX Q2 +0.698
12 Remy GARDNER KALEX Q2 +0.778
13 Edgar PONS KALEX Q2 +0.915
14 Hector GARZO KALEX Q2 +0.980
15 Hafizh SYAHRIN SPEED UP Q2 +1.021
16 Joe ROBERTS KALEX Q2 +1.037
17 Jake DIXON KALEX Q2 +1.136
18 Fabio DI GIANNANTONI SPEED UP Q2 +1.734
19 Thomas LUTHI KALEX Q1 (*) 0.254
20 Nicolo BULEGA KALEX Q1 (*) 0.270
21 Simone CORSI MV AGUSTA Q1 (*) 0.385
22 Bo BENDSNEYDER NTS Q1 (*) 0.409
23 Stefano MANZI MV AGUSTA Q1 (*) 0.413
24 Augusto FERNANDEZ KALEX Q1 (*) 0.437
25 Marcos RAMIREZ KALEX Q1 (*) 0.531
26 Somkiat CHANTRA KALEX Q1 (*) 0.568
27 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA  KALEX Q1 (*) 0.829
28 Andi Farid IZDIHAR KALEX Q1 (*) 1.548
29 Jesko RAFFIN NTS Q1 (*) 2.054
30 Kasma DANIEL KALEX Q1 (*) 2.254

Moto3

Tatsuki Suzuki has qualified on pole position for the third time in his GP career along with San Marino last year, when he went on to his only Moto3 race so far, and Qatar earlier this season. He will be aiming to become the first rider to win from pole position in Jerez in Moto3.

This is the fifth pole position for a Japanese rider since the introduction of Moto3 back in 2012. With his pole position, Tatsuki Suzuki become the first Japanese rider to take back-to-back pole positions in the lightweight category since Youichi Ui in 2001 (France/Italy).

This is the fourth successive pole position for a Honda rider at Jerez. The last non-Honda rider to qualify on pole is Nicolo Bulega (which was also his first) in 2016 (KTM).

Since 2014, the winner of the Moto3 race in Jerez has alternated between a KTM and a Honda rider. Last year, Niccolo Antonelli won the race on a Honda…

Highest-placed KTM rider in qualifying: Andrea Migno in second, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole position last year in Valencia on his way to finishing second. Migno will be aiming to win his first GP race since Italy back in 2017.

John McPhee has qualified in third place, which is his best qualifying result since he was third fastest qualifier in Malaysia last year.

Raul Fernandez, who was second on the grid in Qatar this year, has qualified in fourth place. Over his two previous visits at Jerez in Moto3, he always failed to score any points.

Third-placed KTM rider, Celestino Vietti has qualified in fifth place. He crossed the line in third place last year at Jerez, which was the second of his fourth podiums so far in his GP career, all of them being third places.

Jeremy Alcoba has qualified in sixth, which is his best qualifying result in his GP career; he retired from the Moto3 in 2018 (his only previous appearance in the class at the track).

Championship leader Albert Arenas has qualified in seventh, his best qualifying result in Moto3 at Jerez. He will be aiming to take his first back-to-back win.

After passing through Q1, Romano Fenati has qualified in eighth. Having won in 2012 and 2014, he will be aiming to become the first Moto3 rider to win more than twice at a same track.

Antonelli, who missed the race in Qatar, has qualified in 12th. He will be aiming to take back-to-back win in Jerez.

Moto3 front row
1 Tatsuki Suzuki – SIC58 Squadra Corse – Honda 1:45.465
2 Andrea Migno – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM +0.195
3 John McPhee – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda +0.307

Moto3 Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Tatsuki SUZUKI HONDA Q2 1m45.465
2 Andrea MIGNO KTM Q2 +0.195
3 John MCPHEE HONDA Q2 +0.307
4 Raul FERNANDEZ KTM Q2 +0.501
5 Celestino VIETTI KTM Q2 +0.611
6 Jeremy ALCOBA HONDA Q2 +0.626
7 Albert ARENAS KTM Q2 +0.696
8 Romano FENATI HUSQVARNA Q2 +0.773
9 Gabriel RODRIGO HONDA Q2 +0.800
10 Tony ARBOLINO HONDA Q2 +0.877
11 Jaume MASIA HONDA Q2 +0.934
12 Niccolò ANTONELLI HONDA Q2 +0.967
13 Kaito TOBA KTM Q2 +1.089
14 Filip SALAC HONDA Q2 +1.109
15 Ai OGURA HONDA Q2 +1.115
16 Stefano NEPA KTM Q2 +1.132
17 Ayumu SASAKI KTM Q2 +1.456
18 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM Q2 +1.844
19 Dennis FOGGIA HONDA Q1 (*) 0.393
20 Yuki KUNII HONDA Q1 (*) 0.779
21 Darryn BINDER KTM Q1 (*) 0.839
22 Davide PIZZOLI KTM Q1 (*) 0.923
23 Carlos TATAY KTM Q1 (*) 1.018
24 Riccardo ROSSI KTM Q1 (*) 1.131
25 Ryusei YAMANAKA HONDA Q1 (*) 1.476
26 Maximilian KOFLER KTM Q1 (*) 1.814
27 Alonso LOPEZ HUSQVARNA Q1 (*) 1.946
28 Jason DUPASQUIER KTM Q1 (*) 1.962
29 Barry BALTUS KTM Q1 (*) 2.200
30 Khairul Idham PAWI HONDA Q1 (*) 2.303
31 Sergio GARCIA HONDA FP1 0.994

MotoE Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 Eric Granado Energica 1m48.620
2 Lukas Tulovic Energica 1m48.811
3 Dominique Aegerter Energica 1m48.876
4 Matteo Ferrari Energica 1m48.945
5 Alejando Medina Energica 1m48.966
6 Xaiver Simeon Energica 1m49.070
7 Alex De Angelis Energica 1m49.131
8 Jordi Torres Energica 1m49.293
9 Niki Tuuli Energica 1m49.372
10 Mattia Casadei Energica 1m49.374
11 Mike Di Meglio Energica 1m49.650
12 Xavi Cardelus Energica 1m449.710
13 Josh Hook Energica 1m49.722
14 Maria Herrera Energica 1m49.743
15 Tommaso Marcon Energica 1m50.110
16 Jakub Kornfeil Energica 1m51.012
17 Niccolo Canepa Energica

2020 Jerez MotoGP Race Schedule (AEST)

Time Class Session
1620 Moto3 WUP
1650 Moto2 WUP
1720 MotoGP WUP
1805 MotoE RACE
1900 Moto3 RACE
2020 Moto2 RACE
2200 MotoGP RACE

Source: MCNews.com.au

Rider, driver, biker, bikie or motorcyclist?

Rider, driver, biker, bikie, motorcyclist or even cyclist are used for the person who sits in the front seat of a motorcycle, holds the handlebars and operates the throttle, brake and clutch.

But what is the correct term?

Rider

I usually used the term “rider” which seems to be the most popular here in Australia and many other countries.

However, anyone in or on any vehicle is riding. That doesn’t suggest they are in control.

In fact, the pillion could be a rider was well. (Or is that passenger?)

To indicate that the person is actually in control of the motorcycle, they surely have to be driving it.

Liberal helmet laws adults
How about the term “Wild Hogs”?

Driver

So are they really a driver?

I see this a lot in mainstream media, particularly in the US.

Perhaps it is a misnomer, or maybe it is more correct than calling them the rider.

After all, the term “drive” can refer to urge or motivation, operating and controlling the direction and speed of a motor vehicle, travelling on wheels, and propelling or carrying by force in a specified direction.

Bikie and biker

New York bikies Redrum motorcycle club revenue raising banned senate
New York Redrum motorcycle club

Then there are the terms “biker” and “bikie”.

In the US, a member of an outlawed motorcycle club such as the notorious Hell’s Angels is referred to as a biker. In Australia, they are bikies.

But these terms are also misused by the general public to refer to anyone who rides/drives a motorcycle.

Some riders in Australia, particularly cruiser riders, can refer to themselves as bikers which would give the totally wrong impression to visiting Americans.

Meanwhile, Yanks think bikie sounds ridiculous and a little childish when referring to big, tough motorcycle club members.

Motorcyclist

Parking motorcycles Sturgis rally

Then there is the term “motorcyclist” which just seems twee, nerdy, scientific or technical.

The “ist” ending can also make a word derogatory.

The official meaning of “ist” is a follower of a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement.

So we have an artist, communist, capitalist, socialist, etc.

Does a motorcyclist really fit in with that crowd?

Motorcyclist is also a term used in official documents, research papers, etc.

We often hear from police, the government and other safety Nazis about how motorcyclists are more likely to die in crashes.

I don’t particularly like the term as it is sounds too much like “cyclist” which is a term most people use for someone who rides a bicycle.

In the US, a cyclist can also be the person who rides/drives a motorcycle!

Top 5 Reasons Why Foldable Electric Scooters Will Become the Best Urban Transport
Is this also a scooterist?

The term is also too close to scooterist which is a whole other debate as is the correct term for our vehicle: “motorcycle”, “bike” or “motorbike”?

How do you refer to motorcycle riders? Leave your comments below.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Jerez MotoGP Qualifying | Times/Quotes/Reports/Images | All classes

2020 MotoGP Jerez Qualifying Quotes


Fabio Quartararo – P1

Today was a really great day. Yesterday was the toughest FP1 of my career, then FP2 the feeling was better and then FP3 this morning was the first time attack lap since pre-season in Qatar. Of course it is a great feeling to be pole, especially after such a long time with no race, but this is only Saturday. We need to do the same on Sunday! We will obviously try our best, we have a good pace and we will try to get the best possible result tomorrow. We know we are strong and tyre life is good, but our rivals are also very strong. I’m focusing on the job that I need to do and hopefully we will be able to fight for the victory. I’m not obsessing over a first MotoGP win though, our goal tomorrow is to be on the podium. We have 13 races in a short space of time so we need consistent results.”

Fabio Quartararo – P1
Maverick Vinales – P2

I feel really good, honestly. I think we improved the bike quite a lot, especially in the hot conditions. We worked on it during Q1, so it seems that we found something there – that will be very important for tomorrow. But anyway, I‘m so happy and so excited to start the race, because in FP4 I felt incredibly good, and I felt I was hitting good lap times. I can‘t wait for tomorrow!

Maverick Vinales – P2
Marc Marquez – P3

It was tough! The lap time with this high temperature was very good. I knew even before we left the garage that my target was to try and be on the front row because for some reason Yamaha and Suzuki over one lap are very strong with the new tyre. But we have been working for race distance and in FP4 tyre life and our pace was very good. This is the main focus for tomorrow.

Marc Marquez – P3
Pecco Bagnaia – P4

This weekend we had a different strategy and it worked. I didn’t expect that we could go under the 1:37 with the heat. Tomorrow during the race it will be very important to make a good start and preserve a good race pace. I’m very happy, I can ride as I want, I feel good with my bike, my team and Ducati and I have to thanks them for the confidence and the great work that they made in these months.

Pecco Bagnaia – P4
Jack Miller – P5

I’m happy for today, second row is a good result. I’m disappointed for the crash, but I was trying my maximum to try to improve the position. The track is quite tricky, the temperature is probably the biggest problem and we have to pay attention in the race tomorrow because I think the pace will not be incredibly fast and we have to manage the tyres.

Jack Miller – P5
Cal Crutchlow – P6

Today was a positive enough day to finish in the top six and be on the second row for the first race of the season tomorrow in Jerez. I don’t feel particularly fantastic with the bike at the moment, however, and I need to improve for the race. In the hotter conditions the package isn’t quite working exactly how I would like, and I think we can make it a bit better on Sunday.  We worked hard and did a good job during qualifying. I made a couple of mistakes on my fast lap and think I could have gone a bit faster, but I don’t think I would have made the front row anyway. It’s a great job by the whole LCR Honda Castrol Team in difficult circumstances, and I look forward to finally getting in 25 laps of race action.

Cal Crutchlow – P6
Pol Espargaro – P7

“It was better than what we expected We missed everything today by milliseconds, but I think we must be happy. We were a bit worried because these high temperatures are very tricky for us. I think the bike is turning a bit better and for whatever reason this tire is adapting a bit more to our bike. The race pace especially is quite consistent and doesn’t drop as much as last year with these hot temperatures. For tomorrow’s race let’s see with the asphalt after the Moto2 race and the temperatures together with the different rubber. I will need to risk a little in the beginning, but we are in a good position to be in the second group.

Pol Espargaro – P7
Andrea Dovizioso – P8

Today it has been difficult for me to stay in the top positions both in FP3 and the qualifying. It’s a pity because I hoped to start from the first or second row in the race; instead, we will start from the eighth position, from the third row. We have a good race pace, but at the moment I am still not fully satisfied with my feeling with the bike. We are working on it and hope to be able to improve it in time for tomorrow. It will be important to stay at the front immediately, and I am sure we have the potential to do a good race.”

Andrea Dovizioso – P8
Alex Rins – P9

I was entering the last part of the lap and suddenly I lost the front at Turn 11. I tried to recover the bike, but I couldn’t, so I entered the gravel trap at high speed, and I decided to drop the bike to avoid arriving at the barriers. Unfortunately, I suffered an injury and I felt a lot of pain. I was transferred to the Clinica Mobile and then to the hospital where they confirmed there is a damage, but we still don’t know is this will allow me to race tomorrow. Now I just want to have a good rest and try to recover as much as possible, then tomorrow morning the doctors will make the final evaluation.”

Alex Rins – P9
Franco Morbidelli – P10

I think we achieved the maximum we could today as I didn’t have the right feeling in qualifying. It was fine in the practice sessions this morning, but not qualifying. It happens from time to time with the changing track conditions, different tyres, things like this that the feeling changes between sessions. The important thing is that the pace is good for the race and we know what progress we need to make tomorrow. There were some front-end issues, which meant I couldn’t push in some areas of the track, but I think we will be fine tomorrow and I am happy with where we are.

Franco Morbidelli – P10
Valentino Rossi – P11

The Saturday made a big difference. Yesterday I didn‘t feel well with the balance of the bike, but today we improved. When you look at the data, Maverick and Fabio are strong everywhere. Usually Maverick is also very fast in braking. It looks like he is able to stop the bike a bit better than me, so this is the main issue at the moment. We improved a lot compared to yesterday, but we need more. We‘ll keep working to try to make another step, but now the top-3 guys are very strong and in Yamaha‘s case, Maverick and Fabio are riding very fast.

Valentino Rossi – P11
Joan Mir – P12

I’m really disappointed with how qualifying went because I’ve felt great all weekend, especially in the sessions today. Somehow I couldn’t get the feeling during Q2 and now we want to find out what happened and how to improve it. Tomorrow I’m focused on having a strong start and getting the best result I can. It will be tough with the heat, but I will push. I want to send a lot of strength to Alex, and I hope he can be back in the box as soon as possible.”

Joan Mir – P12
Brad Binder – P13

To be completely honest it has been better than what I could have asked for. If I think where I started at the end of last year – or even the beginning of this one – then I think to be 12th in Jerez with the lap-time we did we have to be happy. We made a huge step in reducing mistakes. Also, with the bike’s performance in the braking zones, especially in the heat and with general comfort just by making the front a bit harder. I need to be realistic, for my first grand prix we are learning a lot and still have a hell of a lot to learn. I realize that every time I go out. I think there is margin there and opportunities for us to make good steps forward. Tomorrow will be part of that learning curve for sure.”

Brad Binder – P13
Danilo Petrucci – P14

It was a pretty difficult day. Unfortunately, I struggled a lot to sleep yesterday because of the neck pain, and the painkillers are debilitating me a lot. Despite this, I am glad to have been able to regain the feeling with the bike and that we have made progress compared to yesterday. My time in qualifying was good and, if I could get straight into Q2, with that time, I would have got the fifth place on the grid. Now we have to focus on tomorrow’s race. It won’t be easy for me, but I am sure we have the potential to do well. I hope that I will feel physically better tomorrow!”

Danilo Petrucci – P14
Takaaki Nakagami – P15

It’s a case of mixed emotions because I’m obviously disappointed about our result today. P15 is not really our position, we should be a lot further forward, but this weekend the lap times are so tight between everyone in every session.  Our potential in FP4, which is race time, is not so bad with used tyres. This is really positive for tomorrow and the race. We have to improve our qualifying laps a little bit. Q1 was really tight but that lap time in Q2 would have been good enough for fifth or sixth position. That is positive for us. MotoGP is so tight this year, if you lose one-tenth you drop three or four positions. You have to always be perfect. We remain positive about tomorrow, and look forward to starting the season.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P15
Aleix Espargaro – P16

I must say that the weekend isn’t going too badly, but not as well as I expected after the tests on Wednesday. I wasn’t fast enough today in qualifying, although I still have a good pace over the long distance. I gave it my all on the flying lap, but with the new tyre I wasn’t able to achieve my goal of 37.5. The race tomorrow will be the most difficult session of the weekend from every point of view. We’ll see how the RS-GP reacts.”

Aleix Espargaro – P16
Miguel Oliveira – P17

This morning it was quite hard to find the pace for one fast lap. We struggled again to find grip. I think I would need a bit more time with the configuration of this bike. But in the end, we made a step forward, so this is important. Our pace is quite strong. Tomorrow it’s going to be a long and hard race, so we keep our minds positive.”

Miguel Oliveira – P17
Bradley Smith – P18

I’m rather pleased with the improvements today, despite the crash on turn 2 during qualifying. We have some work to do. The gap behind Q2 is still too wide. As I said yesterday, our pace is better than our position on the grid reflects, although tomorrow the conditions will be different. It seems like our tyre wear is a bit lower than average, so we will probably be able to maintain higher speeds in the second half of the race. In any case, it won’t be a simple Sunday.”

Bradley Smith – P18
Tito Rabat – P19

Today we have a positive balance, we are all very together so the position does not reflect how fast it is going or all the work we are doing. For the race, we hope to have a good start and a good first few laps. I think it will be an elimination race, due to the heat, where there will be a lot of mistakes and where we will have to keep our heads and bodies cool. We hope to have a good race“.

Johann Zarco – P20

The weekend started off pretty well. The test day on Wednesday was useful, I think for everyone, and I was getting better with the bike which was great. But today, I didn’t handle the time attack well twice with new tyres, there was always something missing, and I didn’t handle it well. So it’s a pity, because I think it’s possible to have a good time with a better qualifying, but I also suffered a small crash in qualifying when I was improving, this put me far away on the grid. Anyway, tomorrow it will be very hot during the race, so we have to keep calm and climb positions lap after lap as it will be long, but I think the pace can be my strong point.”

Johann Zarco – P20
Alex Marquez – P21

The strategy today was to improve, and we made steps in both the morning and in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I am struggling more in the hot conditions than I was expecting but in the morning we were fast. Everything is so close in MotoGP. Every day I am on the bike I want to improve and learn new things; tomorrow will be a good opportunity to do this. The goal is to finish the race but still to push as hard as possible. We saw many positives today but there’s still some room to push a little more.”

Alex Marquez – P21
Iker Lecuona – P22

For sure it wasn’t an easy day for me. I was struggling with the bike and couldn’t find my good feeling from yesterday. FP4 was not bad, I worked a little bit more for the race. The first run of Qualifying was tricky, so I came back to the garage quite quickly, but still, I couldn’t find that great sensation I had on Friday. I’m obviously not happy but we will see what we can change for tomorrow.”

Iker Lecuona – P22

Team Managers

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Team Director

It‘s been a mixed experience. Maverick seems incredibly comfortable, even in this exceptional heat. In the morning he couldn‘t use his preferred bike, but that didn‘t slow him down. He has been so fast all weekend, and his pace keeps getting stronger and stronger, so we are looking forward to seeing him fight in the race. Valentino made a step today. He improved in the morning and that helped him get into the top 10 in FP3. In FP4, when both riders worked on the tyre spec, Vale just needed a couple of tenths, so there is definite progress made in the hot afternoon conditions. But unfortunately, Q2 didn‘t go as he wanted. We need to keep working. There are areas where we know we can improve, and we will not rest until the start of tomorrow‘s race to make sure we‘re in the best shape we can possibly be.”

Davide Brivio – Suzuki Team Manager

It’s a big pity that Alex had this crash at the very end of the session at Turn 11 after losing the front and carrying a lot of speed into the gravel. Unfortunately, he has a shoulder injury, which is a huge disappointment for him. Doctors will decide tomorrow morning if he will be fit or not for the race, so we will wait the night to see how the situation develops. Joan was unable to use his full potential during qualifying and he’ll start from the fourth row, but he has very good pace and we’ll see what’s possible. We know he’ll aim for a good result.”


MotoGP Qualifying Report

Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) won a stunning three-way fight for supremacy in qualifying at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the Frenchman coming out on top to beat Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to the first pole of the year. Quartararo left it late to depose Viñales, with Marquez then saying he played the risk vs reward game on his final lap… but did he?

Marquez was the first man to attack the 55-degree track temperature, but his opening lap was marred by running wide at the Dani Pedrosa corner. Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), though, made no mistake on his first flyer, the Italian going provisional P1 before Quartararo slammed in a 1:37.064. Spurred on by his opening lap mistake, the number 93 of Marquez wasn’t hanging about on his second lap and then snatched P1 from Quartararo with a 1:37.006. The Frenchman bit back immediately with the first sub 1:37 lap of Q2 though – a 1:36.993.

Jerez then fell silent as the MotoGP riders pitted for fresh tyres, tension and anticipation peaking ahead of the final five minutes of the first premier class qualifying session of 2020. We’ve missed the rumble of the MotoGP thoroughbred machines rolling out of pitlane, but we’ve missed the intense battle for pole position even more – and that’s exactly what we go at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.

Out before his rivals on run number two, Marquez was on song and posted a 1:36.877 to depose Quartararo from P1 as the duo duelled for pole. Another Yamaha was looking deadly too – Viñales – and despite being nearly two tenths shy of Marquez’ time coming into the last split, the number 12 had a mega final sector and demoted Marquez to take over in provisional pole. There were two men left: Quartararo was setting red splits on his final run, and so was Bagnaia.

In the meantime, there was fast crashes for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – the fastest man in Q1 – at Turn 11, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) also going down at Turn 2 to add some more drama. Sadly, the crash resulted in injury for Rins and he’s now unfit for the weekend with a dislocated shoulder.

Back on track, Bagnaia took the chequered flag in P4 to improve his time but not position, nevertheless stunning on his run, before Quartararo showed he was the king of qualifying in Jerez for the second year in a row. ‘El Diablo’ was 0.194 under through the third split and pretty much held it to the line to lay down the gauntlet, taking the maiden MotoGP pole position of 2020. Viñales made it a Yamaha 1-2 – just as it was last year – ahead of Marquez.

Bagnaia continued his good weekend form into Saturday afternoon to earn his best-ever MotoGP™ qualifying result in P4, and the Italian will start one place ahead of teammate Miller after the Australians crashed on a provisional pole lap. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) starts P6.

After graduating from Q1, Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) takes P7 on the grid as the leading KTM rider – the Spaniard finishing 0.788 from pole – and Dovizioso had to settle for P8 after his lowside at Turn 2. Rins qualified ninth but will miss the race, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir therefore moving up a place.

What a battle in the opening MotoGP Q2 of the season. Quartararo vs Viñales vs Marc Marquez off the front row is going to be a fascinating start to the race on Sunday afternoon too, with the leading Ducatis of Bagnaia and Miller eyeing up the holeshot from 4th and 5th. It’s all set up to be a stunner, and you can watch it all unfold on Sunday at 2200 (AEST)

MotoGP Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Fabio QUARTARARO YAMAHA Q2 1m36.705
2 Maverick VIÑALES YAMAHA Q2 +0.139
3 Marc MARQUEZ HONDA Q2 +0.157
4 Francesco BAGNAIA DUCATI Q2 +0.250
5 Jack MILLER DUCATI Q2 +0.748
6 Cal CRUTCHLOW HONDA Q2 +0.749
7 Pol ESPARGARO KTM Q2 +0.788
8 Andrea DOVIZIOSO DUCATI Q2 +0.830
9 Alex RINS SUZUKI Q2 +0.931
10 Franco MORBIDELLI YAMAHA Q2 +0.969
11 Valentino ROSSI YAMAHA Q2 +1.036
12 Joan MIR SUZUKI Q2 +1.079
13 Brad BINDER KTM Q1 (*) 0.333
14 Danilo PETRUCCI DUCATI Q1 (*) 0.360
15 Takaaki NAKAGAMI HONDA Q1 (*) 0.371
16 Aleix ESPARGARO APRILIA Q1 (*) 0.877
17 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM Q1 (*) 0.901
18 Bradley SMITH APRILIA Q1 (*) 0.903
19 Tito RABAT DUCATI Q1 (*) 0.966
20 Johann ZARCO DUCATI Q1 (*) 1.043
21 Alex MARQUEZ HONDA Q1 (*) 1.193
22 Iker LECUONA KTM Q1 (*) 1.449

Moto2

Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stole the show in Moto2 qualifying at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the Spaniard setting a 1:47.384 on his second flying lap to eventually beat Jorge Navarro (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) to pole position by 0.181 seconds. On his return from injury, Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) claims P3 and a front row start in Jerez – a venue the Brit has ruled before.

Martin was straight out in Q2 to almost immediately got down to the low 1:41s, with that eventual pole position time coming on only his second flying lap. It wasn’t such a good start for Q1 graduate Fabio Di Giannantonio (HDR Heidrun Speed Up), however, as the Italian tucked the front at Turn 2, with his bike then catching fire in the gravel. Fellow Q1 graduates Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Hafizh Syahrin (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) and Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) soldiered on.

Meanwhile at the top, Martin stood firm, with Lowes able to slot into second but still a number of tenths in arrears. The Sky Racing Team VR46 bikes of Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi were working in tandem to try and reel in Martin’s advantage too, but despite the duo continually slamming in personal bests, that three-tenth gap couldn’t be eaten into. It looked like Martin’s time was safe with the temperatures rising all the time, but Navarro was then looking good on a personal best. The polesitter from 2019 couldn’t quite repeat his feat in 2020, but he did displace Lowes from P2 to go 0.181 off Martin and split the two men at the top.

Lowes improved his time although his position remained the same, and P3 for the number 22 is a great way to kick off his 2020 campaign after missing the Qatar GP. Can he challenge for the win on Sunday? And speaking of, the Sky VR46 duo have looked stellar all weekend. Friday pacesetter Marini will lead teammate Bezzecchi off the line in P4 and P5, with rookie Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) sitting just behind the two Italians on Row 2 after he moved up the timesheets on Saturday.

Jerez lap record holder Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) couldn’t repeat his form from FP3 and will launch from the front the third row, although the German rider was just 0.019 off the second. Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo), meanwhile, finished half a second off teammate Martin and will aim to keep his advantage in the overall standings from P8. Vierge came through Q1 to take ninth, just ahead of 2018 and 2019 Spanish GP race winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40), who rounds out the top ten. Can the Italian repeat his feat from the previous two years?

Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), Edgar Pons (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) and Syahrin round out the top fifteen on the grid.

Martin was untouchable in qualifying, but the race is a different story and the grid behind him packed with challengers looking to strike back on Sunday. Who can handle the heat best when racing gets underway at 2020 (AEST).

Jorge Martin – P1

This is another step in my career! I’ve been waiting for this moment for a year and a half. Today I didn’t think it was my day because in the warm temperatures yesterday it was difficult, but we did an incredible job and the team worked so well, with such a stable bike and lots of confidence in the front. I’m really happy and I think tomorrow in the cooler temperatures I will be faster and hopefully i I can battle for the race.”

Moto2 front row
1 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex 1’41.384
2 Jorge Navarro – HDR Heidrun Speed Up – Speed Up +0.181
3 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex – +0.300

Moto2 Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Jorge MARTIN KALEX Q2 1m41.384
2 Jorge NAVARRO SPEED UP Q2 +0.181
3 Sam LOWES KALEX Q2 +0.300
4 Luca MARINI KALEX Q2 +0.323
5 Marco BEZZECCHI KALEX Q2 +0.338
6 Aron CANET SPEED UP Q2 +0.466
7 Marcel SCHROTTER KALEX Q2 +0.485
8 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA KALEX Q2 +0.505
9 Xavi VIERGE KALEX Q2 +0.595
10 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI KALEX Q2 +0.626
11 Enea BASTIANINI KALEX Q2 +0.698
12 Remy GARDNER KALEX Q2 +0.778
13 Edgar PONS KALEX Q2 +0.915
14 Hector GARZO KALEX Q2 +0.980
15 Hafizh SYAHRIN SPEED UP Q2 +1.021
16 Joe ROBERTS KALEX Q2 +1.037
17 Jake DIXON KALEX Q2 +1.136
18 Fabio DI GIANNANTONI SPEED UP Q2 +1.734
19 Thomas LUTHI KALEX Q1 (*) 0.254
20 Nicolo BULEGA KALEX Q1 (*) 0.270
21 Simone CORSI MV AGUSTA Q1 (*) 0.385
22 Bo BENDSNEYDER NTS Q1 (*) 0.409
23 Stefano MANZI MV AGUSTA Q1 (*) 0.413
24 Augusto FERNANDEZ KALEX Q1 (*) 0.437
25 Marcos RAMIREZ KALEX Q1 (*) 0.531
26 Somkiat CHANTRA KALEX Q1 (*) 0.568
27 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA  KALEX Q1 (*) 0.829
28 Andi Farid IZDIHAR KALEX Q1 (*) 1.548
29 Jesko RAFFIN NTS Q1 (*) 2.054
30 Kasma DANIEL KALEX Q1 (*) 2.254

Moto3

SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Tatsuki Suzuki secured back-to-back pole positions in the Moto3 class after obliterating the outright lap record at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España on Saturday. With a minute remaining and with clear track ahead, the Japanese star put his head down and grabbed his second pole of 2020, four months after his first at the Grand Prix of Qatar. Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) put in a last minute dash to take second, with John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) taking third after he tagged on to Suzuki on the polesitter’s last lap. The Scot has had pace all weekend, however.

The scorching sun in Jerez didn’t deter the Moto3™ field from lighting up the timesheets, and in Q1 it was Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) heading the field for Husqvarna, the Italian moving through to Q2 alongside Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia). Then it was time to reset again and get ready to fight it out for the first pole since March. Ultimately that would see Suzuki break the lap record, but the timesheets tight behind the Japanese rider – just as we like it.

Fronting Row 2 of the grid is Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez who, despite seemingly complaining of front-end feel halfway through Q2, found some pace to go fourth and back up his impressive form in the weekend so far. He’ll be joined on the second row by Migno’s Sky Racing Team VR46 teammate Celestino Vietti and Kömmerling Gresini Moto3 rookie Jeremy Alcoba, who put in a sensational performance to turn the tables on experienced teammate Gabriel Rodrigo, who topped the timesheets on Friday.

Moto3™ World Championship leader Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) will try to defend his five point lead from seventh on the grid, with veteran Romano Fenati making good on his Q1 promise and taking P8. Free Practice pacesetter Gabriel Rodrigo will start ninth but could be one to watch after his speed on Friday, with Tony Arbolino completing the top ten after an improved session for the Italian after he had been forced to head through Q1.

Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) was P11 and ahead of 2019 winner Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), with Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) – Qatar podium finisher – rounding out the fastest fifteen.

Valencia 2019 winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0), meanwhile, could be one to watch. He starts last after a difficult session and having mis-timed his second run, and he’ll be trying to slice through the pack. No one has won from pole in Moto3 at Jerez, but someone has won from the back as Brad Binder destroyed the field in 2016!

All that remains now is to race, with Moto3 sure to put on an incredible show at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto. Tune in from 1900 (AEST) for their return to competition.

Tatsuki Suzuki – P1

“I was struggling a little bit from FP1 because after the crash in the test I lost a bit of confidence on my bike and I was struggling a bit with my riding. But after, I started to work hard with my team and this morning we made a small step on the bike and I got a good feeling. So in Q2, from the first lap I did a 45.7 and I was quite happy about that. But I wasn’t t sure if it was enough for pole. So I tried to improve more at the end, and I went three tenths faster so I was quite happy!”

Moto3 front row
1 Tatsuki Suzuki – SIC58 Squadra Corse – Honda 1:45.465
2 Andrea Migno – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM +0.195
3 John McPhee – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda +0.307

Moto3 Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Tatsuki SUZUKI HONDA Q2 1m45.465
2 Andrea MIGNO KTM Q2 +0.195
3 John MCPHEE HONDA Q2 +0.307
4 Raul FERNANDEZ KTM Q2 +0.501
5 Celestino VIETTI KTM Q2 +0.611
6 Jeremy ALCOBA HONDA Q2 +0.626
7 Albert ARENAS KTM Q2 +0.696
8 Romano FENATI HUSQVARNA Q2 +0.773
9 Gabriel RODRIGO HONDA Q2 +0.800
10 Tony ARBOLINO HONDA Q2 +0.877
11 Jaume MASIA HONDA Q2 +0.934
12 Niccolò ANTONELLI HONDA Q2 +0.967
13 Kaito TOBA KTM Q2 +1.089
14 Filip SALAC HONDA Q2 +1.109
15 Ai OGURA HONDA Q2 +1.115
16 Stefano NEPA KTM Q2 +1.132
17 Ayumu SASAKI KTM Q2 +1.456
18 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM Q2 +1.844
19 Dennis FOGGIA HONDA Q1 (*) 0.393
20 Yuki KUNII HONDA Q1 (*) 0.779
21 Darryn BINDER KTM Q1 (*) 0.839
22 Davide PIZZOLI KTM Q1 (*) 0.923
23 Carlos TATAY KTM Q1 (*) 1.018
24 Riccardo ROSSI KTM Q1 (*) 1.131
25 Ryusei YAMANAKA HONDA Q1 (*) 1.476
26 Maximilian KOFLER KTM Q1 (*) 1.814
27 Alonso LOPEZ HUSQVARNA Q1 (*) 1.946
28 Jason DUPASQUIER KTM Q1 (*) 1.962
29 Barry BALTUS KTM Q1 (*) 2.200
30 Khairul Idham PAWI HONDA Q1 (*) 2.303
31 Sergio GARCIA HONDA FP1 0.994

MotoE

No one has been able to stop Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) so far at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, and the Brazilian retained that unbeatable record in E-Pole too – spectacularly. Granado set a 1:48.620 on his only flying lap to beat Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) by 0.191, with Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) 0.256 off E-Pole in third. Granado was also on pole in Valencia last year, making it back-to-back Saturday success in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup.

E-Pole took place in scorching conditions as the riders prepared to make their only lap count, the grid headed out in reverse order to how they finished in Free Practice. That meant newcomer Jakub Kornfeil (WithU Motorsport) was the first to put a marker down – a 1:51.012 – but faster times were being pumped in all the while, with Alex De Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) then putting in a low 1:49 to lead the way in the early stages. However, de Angelis wouldn’t keep P1 for long as Alejandro Medina (Openbank Aspar Team) set the first 1:48 of E-Pole to take provisional pole position.

Next, Tulovic then took the baton and went to the top of the standings. Two riders who competed in last year’s Cup couldn’t beat the rookie German’s effort either, with Xavier Simeon (LCR E-Team) and reigning Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) going 0.2 and 0.1 seconds off respectively.

Niccolo Canepa (LCR E-Team) was then looking feisty on his lap and the Italian was setting red sectors, but disaster struck at the fast Turn 11. Canepa lost the front and slid out of contention, smashing his Energica Ego Corsa to pieces which brought out the red flags – unfortunately for Aegerter, who had just gone through the first sector at the rapid rate of knots. Canepa was rider ok, Aegerter forced to reset and go again.

Once the session was restarted, the Swiss rider was again on a potential pole lap but ultimately lost out to Tulovic by 0.065, with everything then down to one rider – Granado. Halfway around the lap, it looked like Tulovic had E-Pole in the bag as the Brazilian was two tenths off, but an outstanding third sector followed which saw Granado pull 0.2 clear. Could the number 51 rider hold his advantage in the final sector? Not all of it, but a good chunk of it – he claimed E-Pole by 0.191 to deny Tulovic a debut pole position in the electric class.

Ferrari, Medina and Simeon lock out Row 2, with de Angelis, rookie Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Niki Tuuli (Avant Ajo MotoE) on the third row. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) locked out the top ten.

If that doesn’t tee you up nicely for the opening MotoE race of the 2020 season then we don’t know what will. Can anyone beat Granado on Sunday morning? Find out at 1805 (AEST)) when the electric class go into battle in Jerez over a reduced race distance of six laps.

Eric Granado – P1

“I’m very happy because we’ve done a great job every day. Since Wednesday I felt very comfortable with the bike and today morning we made a very positive training with a good rhythm. Although I had some mistakes in the E-pole, especially in the first and second part, I was able to solve them and finish the lap well, getting the pole position. This gives us an extra motivation for the race, now we will work with the team to have a little more grip tomorrow because the hot track makes us drift a lot. But despite this I am happy, and I wanted to thank the team and the sponsors, tomorrow we will give our best!”

Eric Granado

Josh Hook – P13

“E pole was a little bit disappointing, wasn’t the result we wanted, Half a second and we can improve 5-6 positions. We need to improve in the 4th sector, because we are very strong in the first 3 I’m confident and very positive for tomorrow.”

Josh Hook

MotoE Combined Qualifying

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 Eric Granado Energica 1m48.620
2 Lukas Tulovic Energica 1m48.811
3 Dominique Aegerter Energica 1m48.876
4 Matteo Ferrari Energica 1m48.945
5 Alejando Medina Energica 1m48.966
6 Xaiver Simeon Energica 1m49.070
7 Alex De Angelis Energica 1m49.131
8 Jordi Torres Energica 1m49.293
9 Niki Tuuli Energica 1m49.372
10 Mattia Casadei Energica 1m49.374
11 Mike Di Meglio Energica 1m49.650
12 Xavi Cardelus Energica 1m449.710
13 Josh Hook Energica 1m49.722
14 Maria Herrera Energica 1m49.743
15 Tommaso Marcon Energica 1m50.110
16 Jakub Kornfeil Energica 1m51.012
17 Niccolo Canepa Energica

2020 Jerez MotoGP Race Schedule (AEST)

Time Class Session
1620 Moto3 WUP
1650 Moto2 WUP
1720 MotoGP WUP
1805 MotoE RACE
1900 Moto3 RACE
2020 Moto2 RACE
2200 MotoGP RACE

Source: MCNews.com.au