A sensational new MotorLand Aragon lap record hands Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) pole position for the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon, as the stage is now set for the Italian to try and claim his maiden MotoGP™ win. Ahead of lights out at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday, check out some of the stats to emerge from qualifying below.
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Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes notched up a fifth pole position of the 2021 season after a dominant display in Moto2™ Q2 at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon. The British rider set a 1:51.778 to beat World Championship leader Remy Gardner by 0.279s, with the Australian’s Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate and main title rival Raul Fernandez claiming a phenomenal P3, despite nursing a right-hand metacarpal fracture.
Jorge Navarro (+EGO Speed Up) sat top of the pile after the opening laps were set by the intermediate class, but Lowes landed a 1:51.778 to take control in the session. Q1 graduate Hector Garzo (FlexBox HP40) went P2 to sit 0.3s behind Lowes, with rookies Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Albert Arenas (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) third and fourth for the time being.
Gardner was lingering down in P14 and he only had one lap to salvage something from Q2. Wringing the neck of his Triumph powered Kalex, the Aussie produced a last gasp stunner to climb to P2, with teammate Raul Fernandez working wonders to earn P3 on his final flying lap. Neither could get within a couple of tenths of Lowes though, who equals the Moto2™ pole position tally record with 16.
Garzo came through Q1 and until the closing seconds, it looked like a front row start was on the cards but nevertheless, P4 is the Spaniard’s best Saturday result of the season. Ogura again continues to shine with a P5, as former Moto3™ title rival Arenas bags his best Moto2™ qualifying result in sixth.
Navarro will spearhead Row 3 in P7, the Spaniard finished Q2 0.4s down on Lowes’ pace and has Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) for company. Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) grabbed a solid top 10 to see Aron Canet (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) and Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) unable to place higher than P11 and P12 respectively.
Tune into the Moto2™ race at 12:20 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday afternoon!
Top 10:
1. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – 1:51.778
2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.279
3. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.306
4. Hector Garzo (FlexBox HP 40) + 0.329
5. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.370
6. Albert Arenas (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) + 0.392
7. Jorge Navarro (+EGO Speed Up) + 0.419
8. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) + 0.609
9. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.613
10. Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) + 0.622
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For the first time since the 2018 Aragon GP, there will be two factory Ducatis leading the pack off the line after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a blistering new all-time MotorLand lap record to beat teammate Jack Miller to pole position at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon. The Italian’s 1:46.322 was 0.366s clear of the Australian and hands Ducati their 50th premier class pole, as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) claims the final front row spot in P3.
After a scintillating Saturday morning session that saw the top 14 split by just 0.4s, there were some big hitters competing in Q1. Third in the Championship Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) was the early pacesetter thanks to his 1:47.327, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) occupying second ahead of the second set of flying laps. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), 2020 MotorLand race winner, needed to find time if the Spaniard was to progress into Q2.
It was a manic end to Q2 with every rider improving, but the top two remained the same. Zarco and Binder flew through into the pole position shootout, with Rins having a disastrous session. It was P10 for the Suzuki star, which means a P20 grid slot for Sunday’s race.
Tissot Grand Prix of Aragon: MotoGP™ Q1
Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) – in his debut MotoGP™ Q2 session – set the first real benchmark of the session but two of his Ducati colleagues soon went P1 and P2. Ducati Lenovo Team’s Bagnaia and Miller were sitting pretty at the summit before Marc Marquez then placed himself in a Bologna bullet sandwich, but the number 93 was 0.2s off Bagnaia. Then, rookie sensation Jorge Martin put his Pramac Racing Ducati on top with a 1:46.878, before Quartararo did something we see very often: P1 in Q2.
The Frenchman’s time was a 1:46.727 – a whisker away from the all-time lap record – and as the riders peeled into pitlane before heading back out for a final pole position attack, it was Quartararo leading a trio of Ducatis in the form of Martin, Bagnaia and Miller, with Marc Marquez and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) P5 and P6 with four minutes to go.
Pecco came out swinging on his second run and thumped in a new lap record. A 1:46.322 was now the time to beat, Bagnaia’s incredible lap was 0.405s faster than Quartararo’s. And on the latter’s first attempt to beat Bagnaia, a mistake was made at Turn 12. Meanwhile, Bastianini shoved his Ducati into P6 to demote Mir to P7.
Mir then returned the favour on his last lap to grab P6 though, and just behind the number 36, Marc Marquez climbed to P3. Quartararo got round to get another lap under his belt and through the first two sectors, he was up. However, El Diablo lost time in the latter half of the lap but still managed to improve and go P2 – but not for long. Just behind Quartararo on the road was Miller and the Aussie leapfrogged Quartararo to make it a factory Ducati 1-2, which saw Marc Marquez shoved down to P4.
Marc Marquez missed out on a front row start by just 0.017s, but a P4 start for the FP4 pacesetter is a good result. Martin didn’t improve on his first run time and slipped to P5 at the end of the session, nevertheless another superb effort for the rookie on home soil, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) leaves it late to grab P6.
That Espargaro lap saw Mir slip to P7, certainly not a disaster for the 2020 World Champion who looks good in race trim once more. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) couldn’t replicate his Silverstone Saturday heroics, it’s P8 for the Spaniard ahead of Bastianini – who claims his best MotoGP™ qualifying result in P9 – and Zarco. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) claimed P11 ahead of Binder, the latter didn’t have a fresh soft tyre to use in Q2.
So, Pecco blows the competition out of the water in Q2, but FP4 showed that there’s a few contenders for Aragon’s 2021 crown. Can Ducati take victory on a track they struggled at tremendously last season, will Quartararo rise highest once more or can Marc Marquez return to the top on a happy hunting ground? Find out at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday afternoon.
Q2 results:
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:46.322
2. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.366
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.397
4. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.414
5. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.556
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.561
7. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.840
8. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.872
9. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) + 0.956
10. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.966
11. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 1.044
12. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 1.610
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Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Idemitsu) fell just short but put in encouraging performances, as did Maverick Viñales. The newest Aprilia rider threatened the top of the timesheets at the end of the session but ultimately fell short as he still gets to grips with the RS-GP. It was also a disastrous session for Suzuki’s Alex Rins, who will line up on the grid in a season-worst P20.
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In what some may consider an omen for the weekend, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) finished MotoGP™ FP4 as the fastest man thanks to a 1:48.116 at the Tissot Grand Prix of Aragon. Chasing a fifth win in five visits to MotorLand, the eight-time World Champion looked in ominous form in the final Free Practice session, as he had 0.148s to spare over an impressive Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) in second.
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Navarro, 25, from Pobla de Vallbona, Valencia, is contesting his fifth season in Moto2™ as one of the fastest riders in the category. In his sporting career, Navarro fought for the Moto3™ World Championship in the 2016 season before making the jump to the intermediate category and three years later, he was already fighting for the Moto2™ title, finishing fourth. Navarro has 18 podiums to his name, nine of them in Moto2™ and nine more in Moto3™, and two victories in the World Championship.
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The name of the second Grand Prix at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, set to take place from the 22nd to the 24th of October 2021, can also be announced. The event will be the Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, with helmet manufacturer and long-term partner of MotoGP™, Nolan, taking top billing. The official name of the event is therefore the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna.
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Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) claimed a second pole position of 2021 after his 1:57.724 was good enough to beat Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) by 0.181s at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon. Despite a late crash, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) came through Q1 to pick up a front row start in third.
Binder set the initial benchmark time in Q2, his 1.57.724 was 0.3s faster than second place Rodrigo. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Pedro Acosta and Jaume Masia headed out on track but pulled straight into pitlane, some classic Moto3™ qualifying tactics in play, as Q1 graduate Suzuki moved into second with eight minutes to go.
Acosta and Masia did then head out in tandem, with the Championship leader slotting into P5 on his first lap. Masia, the rider ahead on the road and acting as a tow, was P13 ahead of Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team). A flurry of late personal best times came in as the riders completed their final laps, with Garcia briefly jumping up to P3, before Rodrigo promptly demoted the Spaniard to P4 after going P2.
Yellow flags were waved in Sector 2 after Suzuki crashed at Turn 7, which cost the likes of Acosta and Masia a final crack at the whip, so it meant Binder held onto P1 thanks to his strong opening flying lap.
Garcia strung a good lap together at the end of Q2 to consolidate a P4 startling slot, the Championship contender will be joined my Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) claimed P7 and will head Row 3 for Sunday’s encounter, British GP podium finisher Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) and Acosta line-up alongside the Spaniard. SIC58 Squadra Corse rookie Lorenzo Fellon earned his second Q2 top 10 of the year in P10, the Frenchman continuing his strong weekend at MotorLand Aragon.
The likes of Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Masia, Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) will all be aiming to get themselves into the podium fight from Row 5 onwards, so – as ever – an intriguing lightweight class battle awaits at 11:00 local time (GMT+2).
Top 10:
1. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) – 1:57.724
2. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) + 0.181
3. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.252
4. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.345
5. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) + 0.379
6. Deniz Oncu (Red Bull KTM Tech3) + 0.590
7. Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) + 0.638
8. Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) + 0.657
9. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.710
10. Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.739
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Despite nursing a fractured metacarpal in his right hand, Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was able to top the Moto2™ FP3 timesheets at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon with a 1:51.859. World Championship leader Remy Gardner made it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 and is 0.115s off his teammate, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) picking up P3.
It was Lowes who landed an early hammer blow to go 0.7s clear at the top on his third flying lap, before Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) was able to cut that advantage down to 0.4s shortly after. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) were other early improvers in FP3, as Gardner fell to P6 from P1.
However, in the latter stages, Raul Fernandez and Gardner upped the pace. The first 1:51s lap times were set by the duo as they demoted Lowes to P3. The top three are split by 0.184s heading into qualifying, with fourth place Jorge Navarro (+EGO Speed Up) – who has just signed for Pons HP40 next season – 0.150s back from Lowes. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), despite an early crash in FP3, completes the top five after Free Practice.
Bezzecchi slipped to P6 as the faster times were slotted in at the end of the session, the Italian is 0.019s ahead of reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Kipin Energy Aspar Team), the Spaniard suffering a crash early in the session. Arenas’ teammate Aron Canet was eighth, American Racing’s Marcos Ramirez claimed P9 with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) 10th – 0.650s splitting the fastest 10 riders.
Tune into Moto2™ qualifying at 15:35 local time (GMT+2)!
Top 10:
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 1:51.859
2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.115
3. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.184
4. Jorge Navarro (+EGO Speed Up) + 0.334
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) + 0.511
6. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.602
7. Albert Arenas (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) + 0.621
8. Aron Canet (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) + 0.630
9. Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) + 0.643
10. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) + 0.650
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In an astonishingly competitive MotoGP™ FP3 at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon, World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) came out on top with a 1:46.926 to beat second fastest Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) by just 0.023s. Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) claimed P3 and is 0.056s off Quartararo, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) making it a top four covered by 0.058s.
After finishing 21st on Friday, 2020 Champion Mir was straight down to business on Saturday morning. The Spaniard climbed to just outside the top 10 in the early stages of FP3, with little other combined time improvements coming in. That was until there was 20 minutes to go, with Michelin soft rubber emerging on most of the bikes rolling out of pitlane.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) then moved the goalposts. A new benchmark was set by the Japanese rider in consecutive laps, a 1:47.317 the second of those, 0.296s faster than Jack Miller’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) Friday pace. Mir then quickly joined Nakagami at the top of the timesheets, the Suzuki star slotted into P2. It was getting very busy in FP3 with just under 15 minutes to go, as Quartararo climbed to P2, before El Diablo then shot 0.2s clear at the summit.
Fellow Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow was in Quartararo’s tow and returned to P3, as a couple of Italians turned up the wick. Bagnaia demoted Quartararo to P2 with the first 1:46 lap of the weekend, and just behind, Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) went from last to P8. Pecco wasn’t at the top for long though, Mir pounced to go P1 by a slender 0.002s.
Every rider was in attack mode and unsurprisingly, Quartararo was back on top. Then, drama. Yellow flags were waving in Sector 3 because of an Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) crash, but it looked like no one was affected. Miller leapt back into the top 10 along with Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), as Marc Marquez – pushing hard – then tucked the front of his RC213V at Turn 14, rider ok.
Miller’s last lap was good enough to hand the Australian P5 ahead of qualifying, with Martin sixth. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) is the leading HRC rider in seventh, the Spaniard leads compatriot Marc Marquez in P8 – the eight-time World Champion’s second crash of the weekend didn’t hinder his automatic Q2 promotion. Nakagami makes it three Hondas in the top 10, as rookie Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) claimed the final automatic Q2 spot.
Sensationally, less than half a second covers the top 14. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is 0.470s off Quartararo’s pace, but the British GP podium finisher finds himself P14 and in Q1. 19 riders are lapping within a second of each other, with the entire field just 1.4s apart.
Qualifying is always a must-watch, but today especially. An incredible 0.058s between the top four, an insanely tight top 10 and leading contenders find themselves in Q1… 14:10 local time (GMT+2) – tune in!
Top 10:
1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – 1:46.926
2. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.023
3. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.056
4. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.058
5. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.133
6. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.194
7. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.208
8. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.259
9. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 0.330
10. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) + 0.350
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