The end of the season is approaching and you can see that nerves are running high, especially among the drivers who are playing for the title. And Jorge Martín started the first free practice of the weekend as he had done the previous five, placing himself at the top of the time table. However, in the second session, with the spotlights already illuminating the Losail circuit, the man from Madrid was unrecognizable, making disapproving gestures on the bike and for a good part of the training session he closed the classification.
«I don’t know very well what was happening. I had never seen myself in a situation like this. I think it’s the first time in my life that I’m last. I had the feeling that I had forgotten to ride the motorcycle, because I fell at every turn. I think it was a problem with the tires, which were defective, but we have to check it,” lamented Jorge Martín. The Spaniard only appeared ahead in the final minutes, when he changed tires and put them on soft ones. Although he was not great in those conditions either and his best time only gave him seventh place.
His rival, Pecco Bagnaia, eighth, did not shine either, although the Italian could claim that his best time was canceled due to the presence of the yellow flags. In any case, both met Friday’s goal. Which is none other than qualifying among the top ten to seal your direct pass to Q2 and avoid the trouble of going through Q1.
In their statement of defense they could point to the Losail route itself, recently repaved, but since it is a track with hardly any hours of use, it is always very dirty on the first day. And this time it was made worse by a storm of water that fell the previous Thursday and muddied the asphalt.
This start of the Qatar Grand Prix had an unexpected protagonist in the figure of Raúl Fernández. The Madrid rider set the best time of the day and for the first time was leading a premier class test in his second year in MotoGP. For a moment, Maverick Viñales appeared at the top of the time table with a record below the absolute track record. However, shortly after the time was canceled due to the presence of the yellow flags. And despite everything, the one from Roses finished third, with his teammate Aleix Espargaró fifth, completing the Aprilia recital with three riders in the top five.
Two other Spaniards sealed their direct ticket for Q2, Augusto Fernández ninth; and Marc Márquez tenth. After a first free practice where the four Hondas closed the time table, the one from Cervera stuck to Bagnaia’s wheel in the second session to achieve his place in the top ten and avoid the Q1 play-off.
Masià’s numbers come out
Spanish motorcycling could celebrate its second title of 2023 on Sunday thanks to Jaume Masià, who faces his first title ball in Losail. The Valencian rider started the weekend very solidly, with the best time on Friday in Moto3 and ahead of his closest pursuer, the Italian Fenati, by half a second. Although it does not depend on himself, one of the combinations occurred that would make him champion of the small category, since if the one from Algemesí won the race, his main rival, Ayumu Sasaki, would have to finish outside the podium, and this Friday the Japanese could only finish eighth.
And in Moto2, where the title has already been decided in favor of Pedro Acosta, another very young man from Murcia is being the name of the latest grand prix. After victories in Thailand and Malaysia, Fermín Aldeguer once again led Friday’s training sessions ahead of Arón Canet, just when his name is most likely to move up to MotoGP in the game of chairs that Marc Márquez started with his departure from Honda.
2023-11-17 20:04:02
#Bagnaia #Martín #tense #start #Qatar
