Full Saturday round up from Jerez MotoGP/2/3 – Sprint Race and Qualifying Results

MotoGP 2023

Round Four – Jerez

Saturday

MotoGP Qualifying

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took pole position after an always changing final qualifying session at Jerez. Light rain fell at the start of the session but conditions improved dramatically to allow an all-time classic pole battle played out in Jerez.

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) claim P2 and P3 respectively, with some other major players left stranded well down the order.

MotoGP Qualifying Results

MotoGP Sprint Race

The first start saw a crash bring out the red flag as Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was caught out by an incident between Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) also unable to avoid it. The riders were all ok and able to head back for the restart, but damaged bikes needed moving. Morbidelli was also then given a Long Lap for the contact, to be served on Sunday.

The KTMs attacked straight away on take two, with Binder grabbing the lead from Miller and both Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Bagnaia also slicing past pole-sitter Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). Martin then went for Miller, but it wasn’t long before the Aussie struck back, and the squabble offered Bagnaia his first opportunity of the afternoon as he slotted into third: Binder, Miller, Bagnaia and Martin were locked together.

Drama hit then for Alex Marquez as he hit the gravel trap, and just one lap later and disaster struck for another Spaniard as Aleix Espargaro crashed out of a point-scoring position for the third time in 2023.

Miller took to the front with eight laps to run and the duel stepped up another notch. The KTMs began to pull away from the two Ducatis, and by four laps to go the gap was half a second. Meanwhile, Martin was riding all over the rear wheel of Bagnaia’s factory Ducati, as the reigning Champion seemed to struggle to hold onto the leading duo. Martin was desperate to find a way past but the defending champ was defending well.

Miller and Binder were ragged perfection in the lead though, sliding their way around Jerez circuit in a two-man show for a few laps. Binder looked ready to pounce, Miller held him off, the two blasted round in tandem and then the South African tried it once, denied, but twice, absolutely not shy. It looked like a lot to ask of his tyres as Binder squirreled in a little deep, but on the exit Binder sealed the deal, back into the lead with a lap and half to go.

From there, Binder had it pinned. There was no catching the South African this time, and instead the duel was now for second. The Ducatis had gained ground and Bagnaia lined up a move on Miller into the Pedrosa corner, with the Australian trying to resist on the brakes but overshooting it, giving the reigning Champion an opportunity he wouldn’t turn down.

Miller gathered it back up to avoid another duel with earlier sparring partner Martin. The Australian didn’t quite get that win or make it a 1-2, but he definitely still stormed Jerez. Bagnaia’s second is an impressive turnaround from where his Saturday started in Q1 too.

Fifth was also an incredibly close finish. Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Racing Team) also had viewers glued to their screens as the Portuguese rider fended off the MotoGP Legend for 5th place… just.

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Just 1.5 seconds further back Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had his hands full trying to defend his 7th place from Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing Ducati), but the Spaniard came out on top in that scrap leaving the Frenchman to settle for P8.

The Mooney VR46 Racing riders were involved in an intense fight for the final point-scoring position in the Sprint too, in the end it was Bezzecchi who won the battle against Luca Marini to bag 9th place. Bezzecchi is now only three points clear of Pecco in the title fight…

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Brad Binder – P1

“I knew starting from the second row we had good chance of being in the fight. I felt great today and it is so good to walk away this afternoon with another victory. Jack did a great job to pull us away at the beginning but I started to struggle with the front tyre pressure increasing and I knew I needed to make a move when the front end was locking-up. It’s incredible to take another victory and I want to say thanks to my team, Dani and the test team and the whole of Red Bull KTM for giving us such an amazing and competitive package. Hopefully there is a lot more to come from us this season.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P2

“I am thrilled with my race today. During the night, my team really did an incredible job trying to put me in a position to have a good qualifying. In the beginning, I struggled to adapt to the bike, but after the second exit in Q1, I felt really comfortable, and in the race, I just tried to be fast. It wasn’t easy: the third sector is still my weak point, but I’m sure we’ll solve that for tomorrow as well.”

Jack Miller – P3

“It was great for the team and everyone involved with Red Bull KTM to see both bikes fighting like this. It was really nice and we both enjoyed it a lot. Our bikes were sideways at times and it was a good show. Our bike is strong. We have amazing test riders who have done a fantastic job and helped us arrive to this point. An amazing team around us also that are helping us to do our best. I feel confident for tomorrow as well. The power is there, the Medium tyre works well and I’m excited for 25 laps.”

Miguel Oliveira – P5

“It was a difficult race. I felt that when the race was restarted, we didn’t change the tyre and this might have compromised us a little bit on the option to make a better result. It was very hard to manage the front of the bike. I didn’t have the best feeling and the best grip on the left side of the rear to be as competitive as the other guys in front of me. But we have this information to improve for tomorrow and hopefully we can also make a better start and just gain more positions.”

Dani Pedrosa – P6

“My first ‘new’ Saturday and qualifying was hectic with the conditions but we finally had five minutes of clear and dry track. I was a bit cautious not to touch the white lines I perhaps could have been faster but the second row was fantastic, The Sprint was very aggressive because the riders tried to gain as many positions as fast as possible. I got pushed outside in Turn 1 and 2 a bit and then just tried to keep my rhythm. The bike’s behaviour following others was quite different to what I am used to. The tyres changed a lot in the race and we learned about that today but as a team we must be very happy with three bikes in the top six.”

Maverick Vinales – P7

“I can’t help but to be pleased. The truth is that in the conditions this morning during qualifying, I did not have a good feeling at all and I was unable to achieve one hundred percent. Then, in the race, starting from the rear you have to battle, overtake, you’re under attack – sometimes rather aggressively – and everything is more complicated. The fact of the matter is that when I had open track ahead, I was able to maintain the same pace as the leaders and that’s what is frustrating because I don’t think this position is a proper reflection of our potential.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P9

“The accident at the first start was a shame, it was a bad crash, I hit the left side of my body very hard. Nothing serious even if tomorrow the blow will be felt more. I was able to restart with the second bike, but I no longer had new tires. I was on track with tires that already had the race distance and in the final I was not so fast. The pace was good, I’m happy with that. The start wasn’t bad, I had some contacts, but in the end we made up to the Top10 and one point.”

Luca Marini – P10

“A very difficult race and a complicated weekend so far. This now looks like the new MotoGP: one GP you’re at the top and the next one you are struggling. A pity, because I could not find the confidence I wanted. I have no feeling at the front, I can’t get the bike to turn as I want and even in braking I’m not confident. Let’s go back to the data and try to put ourselves in order to be more competitive on the long run.”

Fabio DiGiannantonio – P11

“It was maybe our best MotoGP race, I’m really happy. We were close to the leader in terms of pace, we were good at the start (even better in the first one). It’s hard to attack on this track and with these conditions but we must be happy and start back from here tomorrow.”

Fabio Quartararo – P12

“It was a complicated day. First of all, in qualifying we didn’t understand why we weren’t able to go fast. In the morning, with an old tyre, I was only 0.3s slower than with a new tyre. It’s pretty strange. Starting from P16, you can’t expect to fight for the podium. Even with a great start, as soon as we are behind another rider, it gets more difficult, and that’s a shame. But anyway, I will do my best tomorrow.”

Alex Rins – P13

“We must improve the braking area; we are struggling, but we knew it would be hard on this track. As for today’s Sprint, I’ve managed to avoid the other riders’ crashes, and then it’s been complicated at the fast corners. The Monday test will provide useful information; we are always learning and trying to do better with this bike”.

Raul Fernandez – P14

“First of all, like always if the position on the grid is not good, it doesn’t allow you to do a crazy race. Anyways, I felt really good, I was in the group with Luca (Marini) and Fabio (Quartararo) and was trying to do some overtaking but with the temperature of the front tyre, it was impossible to do so. I felt really comfortable with the bike but it will take some time to get used to this new format, the Sprint race was crazy but it was good.”

Stefan Bradl – P15

“It was another satisfying day today. The conditions during the race were quite tough with the heat and we were able to put together a good race. I was quite conservative as the primary objective was to finish the race and collect the data, this was very important. We have work to do as Honda to keep closing the distance to the front, so every lap counts. Tomorrow the objective is the same – to be consistent and see what is possible in the race.”

Franco Morbidelli – P16

“It was a very difficult Sprint for us. I had an accident in the beginning of the initial Sprint. We were involved in the crash in Turn 2. I’m very happy that nothing serious happened because I was in the middle of the track. Actually, I want to thank especially Takaaki for his reflexes in avoiding me. I will sort out a nice present to give him. He did the maximum to avoid me. He only slightly hit me, but it could have been much worse. Then we restarted the Sprint, and we did it with the rear tyre that we were going to use for the race tomorrow and the front tyre that was a soft one that we still had. For sure, it wasn’t right for these conditions, but we collected data for tomorrow’s race.”

Augusto Fernandez – P17

“Crazy day! I was in a good spot in the first start but then I couldn’t avoid the crash. I lost a bit of confidence for the first couple of corners when we restarted. My pace is better than where I was on the track and I gradually started to feel better with the used tires. I need to take a bit more of a chance in the first laps tomorrow; it is risky, but I know I can be further forward and with the group further in front.”

Iker Lecuona – P18

“My first MotoGP Sprint race was overall very good, the red flag and doing two starts made things a little strange but I was able to learn a lot in the race. It was really physical, especially in this heat, but I managed it and racing with the other riders again taught me a lot. For tomorrow I think we can put what we learned into practice and close the distance to the other riders a bit more. I am satisfied with how the weekend is going, I am learning a lot and I am really enjoying riding the Honda and being back in MotoGP.”

Jonas Folger – P19

“I’m quite happy with the Sprint. The conditions were hot and the grip was low and it was the first time I felt the bike this way. I tried to overtake Iker right at the end but ran a bit wide. I’ll have another chance tomorrow! Now we’ll try to fix some small issue that I had and try to make another step.”

Alex Marquez – DNF

“I did two very good starts, especially the first one as I was well positioned into turns 1 and 2. I had a coming together with Morbidelli who tried to pass me despite there was no room for it and so I ended up crashing. I’m not sure why he tried to overtake there. At the restart, I may have been too eager to make up ground. The limit is very thin with these conditions and we maybe should focus more on getting solid results instead.”

Aleix Espargaro – DNF

“A shame to have finished Saturday that way after taking pole position. To be honest, I started well in both starts but the KTMs have something more than us in that area. Then the riders who had started with the soft rear had a bit more grip, although the pace wasn’t high at all. But we know that here in Jerez, if you’re up front you are able to defend your position. I was thinking about an attack when I was behind Martin, but I struggled with the front and in the end I crashed. With this new format, we have a chance at redemption tomorrow, where there are important points up for grabs.”

Joan Mir – DNF

“Today’s crash was similar to yesterday, I was braking and lost the front in the last part of the corner. We are struggling this weekend, trying to find some advantage in braking. It’s really easy to make a mistake, especially with the high track temperatures, and it was my mistake today. I am uninjured and we get to try again tomorrow, this is the important point. We have to keep our focus and look to the test on Monday where we will have a lot of time to understand our situation deeply.”

Takaaki Nakagami – DNF

“The feeling with these hot conditions was quite positive in the re-start. I managed to overtake other riders and tried to go away and keep my pace, but I couldn’t. I lost the front. It was like slow motion, and I couldn’t do anything. Today was a big opportunity to finish in the top five or six. The bike is good in hot conditions, but if tomorrow is the same, we will use the hard front because the medium gets too hot.”

Enea Bastianini – DNS

“I’m very sorry I had to retire. Yesterday I gritted my teeth, but this morning I realized I was not in the condition to ride and face the races with confidence. There was no point in taking unnecessary risks, so together with my team, we decided to stop. However, it was right to try it to understand my current level and how far I need to go to be competitive again.”

Team Managers

Francesco Guidotti – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager

“Fantastic race and fantastic weekend so far. We know that qualification is so important here and to have all three riders on the first two rows was beautiful. Our process has been speeding up quickly. Two riders on the podium and Dani fighting for the top five was quite special and let’s see if we can do something similar tomorrow. It would be nice, and it would be deserved because everyone has been working so hard for it in every part of the company. We’d like to pay off all the 100 per cent effort. No party today but hopefully tomorrow we can!”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director

“It was a shame that the original Sprint resulted in chaos on the opening lap. Both our riders had a great start and were in a good position to fight for points. However, in Turn 2, the pack bunched up and Franky had no place to go. He collided with Alex Marquez, and that caused a four-rider crash and a red flag. Fortunately, nobody got injured. In the restart, neither Fabio nor Franky had as good a start as earlier, so they were more on the back foot than they were before. It was a difficult day overall. We will use the data from today‘s Sprint to see what we can fine tune to give our riders the best possible package for tomorrow‘s race.”

Nicolas Goyon – GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager

“A frustrating race for Augusto. He was caught on the first crash and then had to use the second bike for the restart that was not with the same configuration as the first so the performance was a little ‘off’. We know the main package is the faster one and tomorrow we can have a strong pace. On the other side of the garage Jonas kept improving session after session. We are quite happy and he is able to race in a similar pace to the other guys. He made an improvement over Austin. Big congratulations to KTM and their results in the Sprint!”

MotoGP Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Championship Points

Moto2 Qualifying

It’s not often we see a dominant performance in the tightly contested Moto2 category, but this time it was Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) who blew away the field with an incredible 1:40.750 taking pole position by 0.578s. 2nd and 3rd place were decided in typical Moto2 fashion, however, with just 0.002s between Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in 2nd place and Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the front row.

As always it was a hard-fought battle in Q1 as the Moto2 riders toughed it for a chance at Q2 promotion. It was Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) who took top spot, dominating the session to take the first Q2 place. Fast laps came flying in at the end of the session and it was Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (Fieten Olie Racing GP), and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 MasterCamp) who joined the Japanese rider in securing Q2 promotion.

As the green flag dropped and Q2 got underway and it was Dixon who set the benchmark, leading the way from Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Lowes. It wasn’t long before Ogura put himself in the mix, slotting into 3rd place and demoting Lowes just before the final runs.

With four minutes to go the red sectors were coming in from Acosta, who then took over the top spot. The Spaniard’s time at the top didn’t last long however, as straight after Sam Lowes made some magic happen, pulling out a scintillating lap time to move the goalposts by over half a second. Despite efforts from the competition, Lowes’ lap stood and he will start the Spanish Grand Prix from pole!

Lopez bagged the first spot on the 2nd row in 4th, as he’ll line up ahead of Ogura. Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP) who bagged the final spot on the 2nd row in 6th.

Aussie stand-in rider Senna Agius was as high as 20th at some stages but eventually slipped to P28.

Senna Agius

“Sadly I crashed on the first flying lap of the Qualifying and unfortunately, it took me too long to restart the bike. With a few bent parts I tried to start something again at the end but we have to write it off now and make it a good race tomorrow.”

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto3 Qualifying

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was able to convert his superior Practice pace into pole position at the Gran Premio MotoGP Guru by Gryfyn de España, as 0.115s splits the Turk from second place Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) in Moto3 qualifying.

David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) claimed P3, but the Spaniard suffered a Turn 13 crash at the end of the session. After going to the medical centre for a check-up, Muñoz was taken to the hospital for further examination and unfortunately later declared unfit after sustaining a left heel fracture, so he won’t be taking that third place on the grid.

After Q1 graduate Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) sat top of the pile for the first 10 minutes of the session, Öncü struck with just under four minutes to go. On his next flying lap, he moved the goalposts further, with that 1:45.668 too much for anyone else to beat. Öncü starts on pole for the first time since the 2022 San Marino GP, as Americas GP winner Ortola comes through Q1 to claim P2 having ended the second part of qualifying very strongly.

Qualifying in P3, Muñoz finished in front of Fenati, Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar) as half a second covers the top six in Jerez. Grid positions will move up as Muñoz sits it out though, putting World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) onto the second row.

Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Xavier Artigas (CFMOTO Racing PrüstelGP) are next up, ahead of rookie Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completes the third row.

Young Aussie Joel Kelso celebrated his return from injury with a strong 12th place in qualifying.

Second in the World Championship, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) starts P13 as he aims to make progress in Sunday’s race in order to not lose ground in the title chase.

Moto3 Qualifying Results Q1/Q2

Jerez MotoGP Schedule

2023 Jerez MotoGP Weekend Schedule
Times in AEST

2023 MotoGP Calendar