Alex Marquez hopes to be able to continue to reign over his Spanish lands tomorrow. Winner at Jerez last month, the Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS driver will be the favorite for victory tomorrow at the Barcelona circuit after having taken pole position today.
Marquez won his first Moto2 victory in Jerez, already starting from first place on the starting grid. The Spaniard dreams of repeating this feat tomorrow.
Around a lap in 1'49.408, Marquez was today as hot as the track of the Catalan circuit. With 55 degrees on the ground, the Barcelona track proved to be as physical and demanding on the tires as it was on the drivers.
The Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider didn't take long to get into the rhythm. The proof is that he set his best time in his third lap. Chrono that none of his opponents subsequently managed to improve.
Marquez was also the fastest this morning in FP3 when the track had just returned to its configuration from last year. A decision taken Friday evening by all the pilots for safety reasons.
Marquez's performance gives Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS hope of securing what will be its sixth victory of the season tomorrow. A success which would be all the more appreciable as the Belgian team will celebrate its 250th Grand Prix start tomorrow in the intermediate class.
The intense heat which is plaguing the Catalan circuit this weekend was not without problems for Franco Morbidelli. The championship leader and his team had difficulty finding solutions to compensate for the lack of grip on the track.
Despite everything, working tirelessly, the Italian managed to climb onto the second row by setting the sixth time. Just behind Tom Lüthi, the Swiss driver he precedes in the general classification with a lead of 13 points.
Alex Marquez: Pole position – 1’49.408
“I'm very happy to be on pole once again in front of my home crowd. It's really hot this weekend and it's difficult to drive fast in these conditions because the track is slippery and bumpy. For now, I would like to jump into a swimming pool to cool off. We did a really good job this weekend and getting pole is just fantastic. I was quickly in FP3 this morning and confident of being able to achieve it. I'm happy the job was done. I did a good lap from the start of the session and now I hope I can go for victory. It's also an important race for the team and it's great to be able to celebrate it with the applause of my fans. »
Franco Morbidelli: 6rd – 1'50.271
“Given the difficulties I've had so far this weekend, I'm happy to be able to qualify in the top six. It's complicated because I struggled to find a satisfactory feeling because of the heat. The race will be difficult but I think I will be better than in practice, and that's the most important thing. As in Mugello, you will have to be intelligent and think about taking points for the championship. »
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“This race is important for the Marc VDS team because it is our 250th start in the intermediate class. We were a small, unknown structure and today we have become the reference in the Moto2 championship. I think Alex's pole is further proof of this. He did a great job in difficult conditions and his time at the start of the session caused a sensation. He has been in the game since the start of the weekend and I am sure that he will be a candidate for victory tomorrow as he was in Jerez. Franco had problems finding his usual performance due to the heat but I am sure that he will still be in the running in the race. We will work hard tonight to give him a good bike for the race so that we can celebrate another success tomorrow during this important day for Marc VDS Racing. »
