It's been a long time since we've seen such a festive atmosphere at KTM. Since Le Mans, exactly. The Austrian firm is no longer in Germany so far from its bases and this semblance of country air was apparently invigorating for an RC16 which bent to the will of its pilot. Pol Espargaro. The latter made good use of the rain to get out of the repechage before surprising in a Q.2 which he completed with the seventh time. Never has a KTM done so well in MotoGP in the exercise.
For now, it's worth celebrating. Especially since Pol beat his brother Aleix on the Aprilia while the Mattighofen firm made Suzuki drink the chalice to the dregs. The best GSX-RR of Iannone is thus only sixteenth... All that remains is to do the race, and the former Moto2 World Champion thinks that the circumstances could confirm this good impression delivered during qualifying...
« We usually perform well in the rain, but this Saturday we were excellent » says the Spaniard. “ We were able to get into the right rhythm both in the rain and in the dry. We gathered good information on a track where the KTM has never ridden before. It is important. We must progress. But in the rain, I had good feelings. I was able to overtake quite a few drivers. Bradley and Mika also performed well. We couldn't have hoped for better ».
Pol Espargaro reminds us that there are three RC16s entered on the Sachsenring. Braldey Smith is fifteenth and Mika Kallio seventeenth, which is also honorable. “ The new coating is very good, it dries quickly and is very smooth. He is very pleasant » adds a Pol who, on such a turnstile, and given his starting position, will have the role of spoilsport this Sunday. Because behind, the first three in the championship, grouped from ninth to eleventh place, will want to make their way towards the poleman Marc Márquez...
#GermanGP J.2: MotoGP Chrono
Qualifying 2:
1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 27.302s [Lap 10/10] 274km/h (Top Speed)
2. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 27.462s +0.160s[5/10] 284km/h
3. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 27.949s +0.647s [5/10] 267km/h
4. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 28.089s +0.787s [7/10] 282km/h
5. Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 28.210s +0.908s [8/10] 278km/h
6. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 28.383s +1.081s [8/11] 280km/h
7. Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 28.402s +1.100s [7/10] 275km/h
8. Alex Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 28.526s +1.224s [10/10] 279km/h
9. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 28.669s +1.367s [9/9] 280km/h
10. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 28.703s +1.401s [8/10] 282km/h
11. Maverick Vinales ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 28.823s +1.521s[7/10] 281km/h
12. Alvaro Bautista ESP Pull&Bear Aspar Team (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 28.968s +1.666s [9/10] 277km/h
Qualifying 1:
13. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 27.967s 280km/h
14. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 27.979s 280km/h
15. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 28.015s 278km/h
16. Andrea Iannone ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 28.103s 281km/h
17. Mika Kallio END Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 28.285s 274km/h
18. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 28.404s 276km/h
19. Johann zarco ENG Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 28.444s 280km/h
20. Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 28.625s 280km/h
21. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 1m 28.659s 278km/h
22. alex rins ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 1m 29.504s 281km/h
23. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 29.578s 275km/h
24. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 30.028s 277km/h
