All it took was a small mistake in turn 10 during a crucial moment in qualifying to turn a great day into a disappointment. Everything hangs by a thread in MotoGP and Johann zarco checked it again. After a morning finished at the head of the Yamahas and a ticket for the Q.2, after a final free practice session finished second in Marquez, the qualifications were to be a finale. And we were treated to a damp squib…
On this frustration, the Frenchman who is preparing to say goodbye to the Yamaha explains: “ Saturday in Valencia was a good day so far. In FP3, we did an excellent job with the team and in the decisive moment, I performed well. I took fifth place and went straight to Q2. I was very happy, but there wasn't much water on the track. It gave me a lot of confidence, even though the bike wasn't working perfectly. It was dry in the afternoon. I enjoyed it and was quite competitive. "
Then there was the sequel… “ Qualifying didn't start very well because something was wrong with the bike. We tried to resolve the problem. When I returned to the track, with the second new tire, I immediately had a better impression. I could control the bike better, but as I tried to be fast on my first lap, I crashed at turn 10. It's a right-hand corner. Maybe the front tire was still a little too cold and the conditions weren't 100% clear ».
« It's a shame, because the potential for the first line was there today. We now start from eleventh position. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I hope I can be strong from start to finish to fight with Danilo Petrucci and Alex Rins ". Two direct rivals for coveted accessions. Petrucci is indeed a danger for the status of the best independent driver. While Kidneys is a rival for the top 5 overall. However, the Italian will start fourth and the Spaniard downright second…
Valencia Grand Prix, Ricardo Tormo, MotoGP; D.2: times.
| 1 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 1'31.312 | ||
| 2 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 1'31.380 | 0.068 | 0.068 |
| 3 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1'31.392 | 0.080 | 0.012 |
| 4 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 1'31.414 | 0.102 | 0.022 |
| 5 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 1'31.442 | 0.130 | 0.028 |
| 6 | 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | 1'31.577 | 0.265 | 0.135 |
| 7 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 1'31.629 | 0.317 | 0.052 |
| 8 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1'31.630 | 0.318 | 0.001 |
| 9 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | 1'32.140 | 0.828 | 0.510 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 1'32.145 | 0.833 | 0.005 |
| 11 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | 1'32.179 | 0.867 | 0.034 |
| 12 | 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 1'32.310 | 0.998 | 0.131 |
| Q1 Results: | ||||||
| Q2 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 1'31.382 | ||
| Q2 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 1'31.858 | 0.476 | 0.476 |
| 13 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 1'31.900 | 0.518 | 0.042 |
| 14 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 1'31.928 | 0.546 | 0.028 |
| 15 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | 1'32.385 | 1.003 | 0.457 |
| 16 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 1'32.452 | 1.070 | 0.067 |
| 17 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | 1'32.545 | 1.163 | 0.093 |
| 18 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 1'32.547 | 1.165 | 0.002 |
| 19 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | 1'32.568 | 1.186 | 0.021 |
| 20 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | 1'32.708 | 1.326 | 0.140 |
| 21 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | 1'32.749 | 1.367 | 0.041 |
| 22 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | 1'33.011 | 1.629 | 0.262 |
| 23 | 81 | Jordi TORRES | Ducati | 1'34.427 | 3.045 | 1.416 |
| 24 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | 1'35.171 | 3.789 | 0.744 |
