After consultation within the Safety Commission, the second day of the seventh meeting on the calendar took place on a track returned to its 2016 configuration.
Equipped with a more efficient engine than the one he had on Friday, Loris Baz felt more at ease on the Catalan track aboard his Ducati Desmosedici GP15. Credited with the 14th fastest time, just eight tenths behind the leader in the last free practice session, he narrowly missed a place in Q2.
During qualifying, Baz managed to climb to 16th place, sandwiched between the two Hondas of Jack Miller and Cal Crutchlow. Confident for the race, the French driver already knows that he can do well by scoring valuable points in the provisional ranking.
Loris Baz (16th): “I gave everything to try to get a place in Q2, but I failed by only two or three tenths. I'm really happy with my qualifying, as there were several top drivers to compete against. I have clearly progressed by following Maverick. We also fixed our engine problems, my bike now runs much better. Our pace is very fast compared to others. I'm expecting a “survival” race tomorrow and I know it's possible to get a good result. We're not yet decided on the tires, but we'll probably go for the medium, it all depends on the warm-up. The circuit is very bumpy and the grip is delicate, which complicates the situation; it will therefore be crucial to choose the right combination. »
