Rain was expected for Sunday's race and feared on Saturday if it arrived on the eve of a decisive qualifying session. However, it is precisely this last scenario which was written ten minutes from the end of FP4 which ended like the first part of this British Grand Prix. This Q.1 will therefore open a new episode with drivers who will discover the bumpy Silverstone track in wet mode. What if the two drafted then found themselves with an advantage over their colleagues from Q.2 who will have to get into a rhythm that they will have already found?
Before answering this question, here are the available chronometric references:
|
Silverstone MotoGP™ |
2017 |
2018 |
| FP1 | 2'02.130 Maverick Vinales (See here) | 2'02.073 Maverick Vinales (See here) |
| FP2 | 2'00.897 Cal Crutchlow (See here) | 2'01.385 Andrea Dovizioso (See here) |
| FP3 | 2'01.734 Johann Zarco (See here) | 2'01.866 Cal Crutchlow |
| FP4 | 2'01.060 Jorge Lorenzo (See here) | 2'01.571 Maverick Vinales |
| Qualification 1 | 2'00.830 Dani Pedrosa (See here) | |
| Qualification 2 | 1'59.941 Marc Marquez (See here) | |
| Warm Up | 2'01.622 Andrea Iannone (See here) | |
| Course | Dovizioso, Vinales, Rossi (See here) | |
| All time lap record | 1'59.941 Marc Marquez 2017 |
We will remember, before launching into hostilities, the chaotic end of FP4 in turn 7 the grip problem at this point proved that Kidneys, Morbidely Lorenzo, Alex Espargaro et Rabat found themselves there with all four irons in the air. The Suzuki official tried to warn as many of his colleagues as possible to spare them the agonies of the fall. Alas too late for Rabat, who, getting up from his somersault, was hit by the sinking Honda Morbidely. The Spaniard apparently suffered a knee injury. According to the first comments of Smith then Crutchlow, the waterlogged track linked to the ambient light gives the appearance of a mirror to the bitumen while braking is very delicate.
RED FLAG 🛑
Two track conditions
Multiple riders down in one turn, more info when we get it… pic.twitter.com/YBG1pP0paX
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) August 25
Temperatures of 14.4° in the air and a wet track of 22° awaited the drivers who discovered the end of the downpour and the return of the sun's rays before being released from the pit lane, still under flag control. red. And for good reason: the unfortunate Tito Rabat was just evacuated to the medical center... With a fractured right leg, the Avintia driver will not go any further in this twelfth meeting of the season.
Morbidely, Bautista, Rins et Pedrosa appear as deadline favorites. Two of the four will remain on the floor. See more if outsiders assert themselves! The track reveals soggy parts and other almost dry sectors, which adds to the difficulty. Smith et Baz on their KTMs are the most efficient at the start.
Smith in 2'16.771 is even practically three seconds faster than his current teammate. He hits the nail on the head in 2'14.939, which gives him a good lead over Morbidely which Lüthi follows! The supposed and aforementioned favorites are far from the mark!
Five minutes from time, we even have a Simeon second. A qualifying place that he takes Lüthi. Two minutes from the end, Pedrosa finally makes the powder speak in 2'14.866. Kidneys also raises your voice but points to third before Redding don't take his place.
In 2'13.340, Smith shows that he really cares about this Q.2 for KTM. He will have it and will continue the adventure with Kidneys who deprives Morbidely of this happiness. Baz will be a good eighteenth on the starting grid.
British Grand Prix Silverstone MotoGP Q.1:
Credit ranking: MotoGP.com
