MotoGP, Qatar J2, Álex Rins: “I feel like I have incredible race pace”

Friday morning at the opening of the Grand Prix, on a track that was still moderately clean, during FP1 Valentino Rossi set the best time in 1'55.048, 0.079 ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. Álex Rins was provisionally content with ninth position in 1'55.409, 0.361 behind VR46.

During FP2, Marc Máask broke the circuit record in 1'53.380. Alex Rins was in eighth position, in 1'54.320. It was interesting to note that Rins during Q2 in 2018 set a time of 1'54.339, which gave him the sixth fastest time on the grid.

During FP2 (at 20 p.m. local time), the air temperature was 21° as well as that of the track. This Saturday for FP3, the music was no longer the same at 15:25 p.m. local time, with a temperature of 23° for the air and 32° for the track under the Qatari sun.

Questioned in the pits at the start of FP3 by Simon Crafar (Dorna TV), Suzuki team manager Davide Brivio explained that “ Álex had yesterday in FP2, not problems, but small things to do to improve the bike. This is why we are going to try different solutions this afternoon. We are currently in the top 10 and with the weather conditions, we can hope to stay there. We will do everything to improve the bike. »

None of the 13 drivers who had not qualified the day before in the top 10 managed to gain their place in Q2 during this FP3, and they had to go through Q1 to have a chance of appearing on one of the first four rows of the starting grid. . Álex Rins fell without gravity.

During the fourth free practice session which preceded qualifying, Álex set the tenth time at race pace in 1'55.434, 0.580 behind the best time of Danilo Petrucci (Dozens).

It was interesting to note that Suzuki was the only one of the six brands present to qualify all of its bikes in Q2, unlike Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, KTM and Aprilia. During Q1, just before Q2, Jorge Lorenzo fell in turn 2 without gravity, then indicating with his index finger the humidity and mold which were beginning to spread on the circuit in places. Johann zarco and Tito Rabat had fallen (separately) a few minutes earlier in the same place. To make everything better, the air and ground temperature was only 16° for the start of Q2, without Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo.

Álex Rins qualified tenth in 1'54.257, 0.711 from pole position Maverick Vinales, and 0.133 ahead of her teammate Joan Mir in eleventh place.

According to Rins, “ The day was a bit difficult for me. I had two falls, one in FP3 and one in FP4. So it was difficult to start Q2 with a clear mind, and the track conditions didn't help me.

“Anyway, I was able to improve my lap time even when I was riding alone. We will focus on the race.

“I feel like I have incredible race pace and strong pace on a used tire, so we're ready to take advantage of that ».

According to Davide Brivio, “We expected a little more from this qualifying session, but the conditions were very difficult. Álex will start in 10th position, which will make the race a little more difficult at the start, but I think he can have a good pace and feel comfortable.

“Joan qualified well to move straight into Q2 with Alex, who qualified 11th, which is excellent for a first race. We have seen him progress. We can’t wait for tomorrow.”

Qualification results:

1	12	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	1'53.546
2	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	1'53.744	0.198	0.198
3	93	Marc MÁRQUEZ	Honda	1'53.745	0.199	0.001
4	43	Jack Miller	Ducati	1'53.809	0.263	0.064
5	20	Fabio QUARTARARO	Yamaha	1'53.946	0.400	0.137
6	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	1'54.095	0.549	0.149
7	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	1'54.200	0.654	0.105
8	21	Frank MORBIDELLI	Yamaha	1'54.236	0.690	0.036
9	30	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	1'54.239	0.693	0.003
10	42	Alex RINS	Suzuki	1'54.257	0.711	0.018
11	36	Joan Mir	Suzuki	1'54.390	0.844	0.133
12	41	Aleix ESPARGARÓ	Aprilia	1'54.917	1.371	0.527
		Q1 Results:
Q2	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	1'54.270
Q2	30	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	1'54.431	0.161	0.161
13	63	Francesco Bagnaia	Ducati	1'54.472	0.202	0.041
14	46	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	1'54.537	0.267	0.065
15	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Honda	1'54.563	0.293	0.026
16	44	Pol ESPARGARÓ	KTM	1'54.740	0.470	0.177
17	88	Miguel OLIVEIRA	KTM	1'55.122	0.852	0.382
18	53	Tito RABAT	Ducati	1'55.428	1.158	0.306
19	29	Andrea Iannone	Aprilia	1'55.464	1.194	0.036
20	17	Karel ABRAHAM	Ducati	1'55.642	1.372	0.178
21	5	johann zarco	KTM	1'55.797	1.527	0.155
22	55	Hafiz Syahrin	KTM	1'55.937	1.667	0.140
23	38	Bradley SMITH	Aprilia	1'56.036	1.766	0.099