This morning, during a very lively FP3, Johann Zarco used an offbeat strategy consisting of not necessarily chasing the time, but carrying out a mini race simulation of 12 laps before securing his place in the top 10.
Obviously, this was useful to him for the FP4 which he finished in second position, and it is now a question of seeing if this will not harm his time in a session where the drivers are attacking as much as possible. It will be noted that, to a lesser extent, Valentino Rossi used the same strategy.
The track is now at 45° and here are the references available before this qualification:
|
#SpanishGP MotoGP |
2016 |
2017 |
| FP1 | 1'40.270 Jorge Lorenzo | 1'51.648 Dani Pedrosa |
| FP2 | 1'39.555 Jorge Lorenzo | 1'39.420 Dani Pedrosa |
| FP3 | 1'39.244 Valentino Rossi | 1'38.580 Dani Pedrosa |
| FP4 | 1'39.241 Jorge Lorenzo | 1'39.467 Marc Marquez |
| Q1 | 1'39.907 Cal Crutchlow | |
| Q2 | 1'38.736 Valentino Rossi | |
| Warm Up | 1'39.513 Marc Marquez | |
| Course | Rossi, Lorenzo, Marquez | |
| All time lap record | 1'37.910 Jorge Lorenzo 2015 |
Here are the drivers' choices in terms of tires:
As often on a circuit he likes, Jorge Lorenzo leaves first so as not to be embarrassed.
From the first round launched, Marc Márquez recorded a 1'38.300 which already pulverizes Valentino Rossi's pole position from last year (1'38.736 ). It is followed at 3/100 by Dani Pedrosa, the two official Honda drivers having a lead of 3/10 over the rest of the field made up of Vinales, Iannone, Lorenzo, Crutchlow, Miller, Folger, Zarco, Rossi, Aleix Espargaro and Scott Redding.
During their second attempt, Jorge Lorenzo and Johann Zarco improved their partials which allowed the French driver to climb to provisional fifth place.
Alex Espargaro falls at turn two while Cal Crutchlow produced his effort and moved from seventh position to provisional third place.
This is the moment when the two official Honda riders respond, which allows Dani Pedrosa to take provisional pole position. Despite having been a little embarrassed by his teammate when passing him, Marc Márquez releases the maximum attack but fails in his attempt by 4 hundredths.
It was as close as it gets between #MM93 & #DP26 for pole on that final lap…
Marquez really couldn't have pushed anything harder! #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/M4dUKN5YnC
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) May 6, 2017
The first line is completed by a Cal Crutchlow who was stung by a wasp while decelerating...
Most bizarre moment of the #SpanishGP...
🐝problems @calcrutchlow?😖 pic.twitter.com/luOICUbL5b
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) May 6, 2017
Great performance from Iannone, undoubtedly still hot from his Q2 while Valentino Rossi will have to start from the third row, alongside Jorge Lorenzo...
Ranking compiled by our friends at crash.net :
Qualifying 2:
1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 38.249s [Lap 6/7] 291km/h (Top Speed)
2. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 38.298s +0.049s [8/8] 291km/h
3. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 38.453s +0.204s [6/7] 291km/h
4. Maverick Vinales ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 38.677s +0.428s [3/7] 292km/h
5. Andrea Iannone ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
1m 38.744s +0.495s [3/8] 291km/h
6. Johann zarco ENG Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)*
1m 38.861s +0.612s [6/8] 291km/h
7. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 38.908s +0.659s [6/7] 290km/h
8. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17)
1m 38.910s +0.661s [6/8] 293km/h
9. Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)*
1m 39.108s +0.859s [8/8] 291km/h
10. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 39.125s +0.876s [3/8] 290km/h
11. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 39.152s +0.903s [5/8] 292km/h
12. Alex Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 39.400s +1.151s [2/5] 288km/h
Qualifying 1:
13. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 39.090s 290km/h
14. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 39.255s 294km/h
15. Espargaro Pol ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 39.282s 294km/h
16. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 39.321s 291km/h
17. Alvaro Bautista ESP Pull&Bear Aspar Team (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 39.462s 291km/h
18. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 39.564s 292km/h
19. Karel Abraham CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 39.678s 294km/h
20. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 39.824s 287km/h
21. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 39.906s 293km/h
22. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)*
1m 40.213s 287km/h
23. Takuya Tsuda JPN Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
1m 40.386s 287km/h
