Twenty-eight thousandths of a second. Here's what stopped Pol Espargaró from going straight to Q2 in Catalonia on Friday. Having to go through the tortuous exercise that is Q1 for so little is a punishment, especially since starting position is everything in Barcelona more than anywhere else. However, this also means that “Pollycio” is coming back strong, and is not far from elite pilots. Moreover, the one in front of him is none other than Jorge Martín, which says a lot about the competitiveness of the GasGas driver.
It is a disappointed but motivated Pol Espargaró who we find at the end of this first day in Catalonia. “It’s nothing at all, a piece of cake, a biscuit” he says about this thin gap, referring to a Spanish expression. “Of course, it’s disappointing to miss Q2 by so little. Additionally, we had a problem with the Ride Height Device in the final stretch. When you're this close, you think about all the little moments that wasted your time » he confided. It's cruel, it's true, but it proves that he is in the game, and quite well ahead of his teammate, 16th.
0.028 seconds from Q2: Bittersweet feeling for Espargaro on Friday, Fernandez completes day 1 in P16.
📰 Day 1 recap 👉 https://t.co/kpHnB4W3IY#CatalanGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/9EPHrJdHuE
- Tech3 Racing (@ Tech3Racing) September 1, 2023
“We did a good job. I'm only three tenths behind Brad Binder after losing everything in the last two turns. I'm still having trouble throwing this bike into fast corners, I don't have the confidence yet. At the Red Bull Ring it was easier because the corners are more fixed than here. Without grip I don't feel comfortable” he added. It must be said that he is forgiven: due to a big accident during free practice in Portugal, the first Grand Prix of the season, Pol Espargaró only made his return to Silverstone, barely two races ago . In Austria, he made a strong impression by taking sixth place in the Sprint ahead of his brother on the Aprilia.
So, the 2 Moto2013 world champion has reason to hope. “If I can be this close to Brad on a track where I don't feel good, that's not bad. Tomorrow, we will need a perfect lap in Q1. This session is always very competitive but today, we were only 28 thousandths away, so why not? » Clearly, the Tech3 driver commands respect. Not really comfortable, but relatively impressive in these conditions, it must be admitted.
Do you think he has a chance of reaching Q2 tomorrow? Tell us in the comments!
Practice result at the 2023 MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
