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Moto3 Le Mans France Qualifying: Pole and record for Jaume Masia

by | Oct 10, 2020

This Saturday of the French Grand Prix will definitely be spared from the rain since a benevolent, although autumnal, sun reigns in the Le Mans sky. The drivers will appreciate and be able to benefit from this qualifying session which will take place in two stages. First a Q1 from which four drivers will emerge who will join Q2 where pole position will be played out...

This morning, at the end of FP3, it's a Raul Fernandez supercharged who dominated the session with a best lap of 1'42.153, a time which beat that of the pole and the best lap in the race established last season. An impressive progression for the Spanish driver who yesterday was only in 16th position overall. In its wake, just 45 thousandths away, Celestine Vietti was in second position, moving up six places in the rankings.

What will these qualifications have in store for us in this ninth of the 14 rounds of the season? Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far…

Moto3™ Le Mans

 2019

2020
FP1

1'42.954 Gabriel Rodrigo

 1'55.217 John McPhee
FP2

1'42.147 Ai Ogura

 1'44.820 Filip Salac
FP3

1'53.429 Tatsuki Suzuki

 1'42.153 Raul Fernandez
Q1

1'43.994 John McPhee

 1'42.317 Kaito Toba
Q2

1'42.277 John McPhee

 1'41.399 Jaume Masia
Warm Up

1'42.841 John McPhee
Course

McPhee, Dalla Porta, Canet
All time lap record

1'41.754 Jorge Martin 2018

 1'41.399 Jaume Masia

Here we go for 15min of Q1:

It is Antonelli which sets the reference time for this Q1 session in 1.42.969s. He improved further by achieving a lap time of 1.42.627s. His pursuers and three drivers who for the moment would join Q2 with him, are: Suzuki, Foggia et Toba. 

Rodrigo takes control in 1.42.470s in front Foggia, Yamanaka et Antonelli. The conditions on the track are good, the positions change throughout the laps. There are 5.50s left before the end of the session.

2 minutes from the end of the session, Foggia takes 1st position with a time achieved in 1.42.353s. Rodrigo, Yamanaka and Antonelli are the other 3 drivers who would qualify for Q2.

kick of Rodrigo in turn 3-4

End of session and it's Tuff who signs the best time of the session in 1.42.317s ahead of Foggia, Yamanaka and Rodrigo. These 4 drivers join their partners for Q2

Full Q1 results:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q2 session:

The leading trio is made up at the start of the qualifying session of Fernandez, Binder and Arenas. The Argentinian set a lap time of 1.42.349s.

kick of Tuff in the Dunlop chicane.

Sasaki goes on the offensive and positions himself in best 3rd time in 1.42.747s.

There are 4 minutes left and the positions ahead are moving: Fernandez remains the leader of the troop in front Foggia, Binder, Vietti et Sasaki.

There are 2 minutes left before the checkered flag drops and 2 potential laps for the drivers to go for pole.

Fall ofOgura in turn 7 which did not achieve any time…!

fenati took provisional pole by setting the best time in 1.42.232s.

kick of Yamanaka and Migno in turn 12

Pole position passes in turn into the hands of Fernandez then farmhouse in 1.41.816s. Arenas took it in turn in 1.41.419s but farmhouse is the strongest in 1.41.399s. In the process, he broke the circuit record.

The top5 who will line up on the starting line tomorrow are made up of: Masia, Arenas, McPhee, Garcia and Rodrigo 

             Full results: 

 

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