Sunday Guide for the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon

2018-09-23 08:56
MotoGP™

Jorge Lorenzo has qualified on pole position for the fourth time this season and the 69th in his Grand Prix career. This is the first time Lorenzo has had three pole positions in a row since joining Ducati in 2017 and the first time overall since 2012 (Aragón/Japan/Malaysia).

This Jorge Lorenzo’s second pole position at Aragón and the second for a Ducati rider, along with Casey Stoner back in 2010 when the Australian was on his way to taking the only win for Ducati at this track so far.

This is the first time Ducati riders have qualified on pole position in three successive Grand Prix events since 2008 with Casey Stoner. Ducati riders will be aiming to win four successive races for the first time in Grand Prix racing.

Andrea Dovizioso starts from second on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was also second at Silverstone and his fifth front row start of the year, equalling his highest tally in any one season in the premier class (2014).

With Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso, this is the sixth Ducati 1–2 in the MotoGP™ class and the first in three successive Grand Prix events.

Marc Márquez completes the front row on the grid, which is his first front-row start since he was on pole position in Austria earlier this year. Márquez has won the last two MotoGP™ races at the MotorLand and will be aiming to equal Mike Hailwood in fourth place on the list of riders with the most GP wins with Honda.

The highest-placed Independent Team rider on the grid is Cal Crutchlow in fourth, which is his best qualifying result since he was also fourth at Silverstone.

Andrea Iannone is fifth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was fifth in Barcelona and the best for a Suzuki rider at MotorLand since Maverick Viñales was second fastest two years ago.

Dani Pedrosa, who won the MotoGP™ race in 2012 at MotorLand, is sixth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was second in Spain this year. This is the third time this year he starts from the first two rows on the grid.

Heading the third row on the grid is Danilo Petrucci, which is his best qualifying result since he was sixth in Silverstone. Petrucci’s best result at MotorLand is 11th back in 2014.

Fourth-placed Alvaró Bautista starts from eighth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was seventh fastest last year at the Dutch TT.

Álex Rins starts from ninth on the grid as the second Suzuki rider. This is Rins’ best qualifying result since he was ninth at Brno.

After going to Q1 for the fifth time in 2018, Maverick Viñales has qualified in 11th, which the sixth time this year he has qualified outside the top 10. However, he has been given a 3-place grid penalty.

Takaaki Nakagami is the first of the five rookies this year to have made it to Q2 three times this year (Aragon, Catalunya and Germany).

Johann Zarco has qualified 14th, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 19th last year at the Sachsenring.

Valentino Rossi qualified 18th, equalling his worst qualifying result in dry conditions in the premier class: the Dutch TT in 2006 when he was injured. He will start 17th due to a grid penalty for Franco Morbidelli.

Moto2™
Brad Binder has qualified on pole position for the first time in the Moto2™ class, which is the first pole position for a South African rider in the intermediate category since Mario Rademeyer at Kyalami in 1984.

Only two riders have not won from pole position at the MotorLand in the Moto2™ class: Pol Espargaró (2012) and Franco Morbidelli (2017).

Marcel Schrötter has qualified in second place on the grid, which is his seventh front row start in the Moto2™ class. This is Schrötter’s best qualifying result this season along with Assen and San Marino.

Jorge Navarro, who won his second Moto3™ race at Aragón two years ago – his most recent Grand Prix victory –  starts from third on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since stepped up to the Moto2™ class last year and therefore his first front row in the class.

Heading the second row on the grid is Álex Márquez, who finished on the podium over the last two years in the Moto2™ class at the MotorLand. This is the 11th time this year he starts from the first two rows on the grid.

Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia is in the middle of the second row, which is his worst qualifying result since he was sixth at Brno earlier this year.

Mattia Pasini, who crossed the line in second place last year in Aragón, has qualified in sixth place on the grid. Pasini will be aiming to finish on the podium for the first time since his victory in Argentina earlier this year.

Miguel Oliveira starts from 18th on the grid, which is his lowest position on the grid this year. He qualified in 23rd at Silverstone but the race was cancelled.

Moto3™
Jorge Martín has qualified on pole position for the ninth time this year – as in 2017 – and the 18th time overall in his Grand Prix career, which is a new record in the lightweight class, overhauling the record set by his Team Principal Fausto Gresini. This is also his 12th front-row start of the season, equalling his 2017 season; his worst qualifying result being ninth in Argentina earlier this year.

Jorge Martín has qualified on pole position for the second successive time at MotorLand, making the fifth successive pole position from a Honda rider at the track. He crossed the line in fourth last year at Alcañiz while fighting for the win.

Álex Rins in 2013 is the only rider to have won from pole position in the lightweight category at MotorLand Aragón.

Jaume Masia, who failed to score any points last year in Aragón, has qualified in second on the grid as the highest-placed KTM, equalling his best qualifying rest from Silverstone earlier this season. This is his second front row start on what is his 17th Grand Prix race in the Moto3™ class.

Enea Bastianini completes the front row on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was also third at the Sachsenring earlier this year. He finished on the podium over the last two years at MotorLand Aragón, third in both 2016 and 2017.

Heading the second row on the grid is Tony Arbolino, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole position in Argentina earlier this season.

Dennis Foggia, who finished eighth last year at MotorLand as a wildcard from fifth on the grid, has also qualified in fifth this year, equalling his best qualifying result. Foggia is in third place in the fight for the Rookie of the Year with 26 points behind Alonso Lopez (31) and Jaume Masia (54).

Second in the Championship, Marco Bezzecchi has qualified in sixth on the grid, which is the seventh time this year he has failed to qualify on the first two rows. Bezzecchi’s best result at MotorLand is 19th last year from 16th on the grid.

Niccolò Antonelli qualified in seventh on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was also seventh in Mugello earlier this year. However, Antonelli has been given a 12-place grid penalty.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, who finished in second place last year in Aragón, qualified in tenth, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 16th in Austria this year. This is Di Giannantonio’s 50th Grand Prix start.

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