MotoGP 2013 – Round Five – Mugello – Race Day Guide
• Dani Pedrosa starts from pole for the first time since the final race of 2012 at Valencia. Pedrosa is aiming to win three successive MotoGP races for only the second time in his career, having won at Aragon, Motegi and Sepang last year.
• Jorge Lorenzo is in second place on the grid – his 15th successive front row start. Lorenzo has won at Mugello for the past two years.
• The two great rivals Lorenzo and Pedrosa are currently level on 24 race victories each in the MotoGP class.
• Andrea Dovizioso has taken third place on the grid for the second successive race. Dovizioso has finished on the podium at Mugello for the last three years. He will be aiming to become the first Ducati rider since Casey Stoner in 2009 to finish on the podium at Mugello.
• Cal Crutchlow heads the second row of the grid for the fourth successive race, to continue his record of being the top satellite-team rider in qualifying at every race in 2013.
• Stefan Bradl has qualified in fifth place on the grid for the fourth time this year. Bradl finished fourth last year at Mugello, which was the best result of his rookie season in MotoGP.
• Marc Marquez, who has qualified in sixth place on the grid, will be aiming to become the first rider to finish on the podium in his first five races in the premier-class.
• Valentino Rossi heads the third row of the grid. Rossi will be aiming for his first podium finish at Mugello since he was third in 2009.
• Nicky Hayden has qualified in eighth place on the grid. Hayden finished seventh last year at Mugello – his best result at this circuit riding a Ducati.
• There are two factory Ducati riders qualified in the top eight places on the grid for the first time since the Valencia GP in 2011.
• Alvaro Bautista has taken the final place on the third row – his worst qualifying result so far in 2013.
Bautista has finished in the top ten at the last 15 consecutive races.
• In 12th place on the grid is Aleix Espargaro, which is the fourth time this year that he has been the highest placed CRT rider in qualifying.
Moto2™
• Scott Redding becomes the first British rider to have two pole positions in a single season in the intermediate-class of GP racing since Rod Gould in the 250cc class in 1972. Redding will be aiming to become the first British rider since Gould in 1971 to win back-to-back races in the intermediate-class of grand prix racing.
• Takaaki Nakagami is in second place on the grid to extend his record of qualifying on the front row at every Moto2 race in 2013. Nakagami will be aiming to be the first Japanese rider to win a GP in any class since Yuki Takahashi won the Moto2 race in Catalunya in 2010.
• Marcel Schrotter is in third place on the grid – his best-ever qualifying result in any class of GP racing.
• Heading the second row of the grid is Johann Zarco, who will be aiming to finish on the podium for the first time since moving up to the Moto2 class.
• Fifth-fastest qualifier Nico Terol finished on the podium in the 125cc class for three successive years at Mugello – second in 2009 & 2010, and a victory in 2011.
• In tenth place on the grid is Pol Espargaro, who was on pole and finished second in the Moto2 race at Mugello last year.
Moto3™
• Jonas Folger starts from pole for the first time since the final race of last year at Valencia. Folger’s best result from four previous appearances at Mugello is 11th in the 125cc race in 2010.
• Maverick Viñales is in second place on the grid, maintaining his record of front row starts at every Moto3 race so far in 2013. Viñales has finished on the podium at the opening four races of the year, including wins at the last two grands prix.
• Alex Rins is on the front row for the fourth time this year. Rins has finished on the podium three times from the first four races of the year, missing out only at Jerez when he crashed while battling for the lead.
• Jack Miller heads the second row of the grid, equalling his best ever qualifying result in Moto3.
• In fifth place on the grid is Luis Salom, who has finished on the podium in each of the opening four races of the year.
• Other than Maverick Viñales and Romano Fenati (who has qualified in 20th place on the grid) no other riders in the current Moto3 line-up have finished on the podium at Mugello in grand prix racing.
Qualifying, Saturday, 1 June 2013 – Weather: Dry, partially cloudy – Temperature: Ambient 22 degrees C / Track 38 degrees C
Championship leader Dani Pedrosa stole a last-minute pole position to cap off a dramatic qualifying session for the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM in Mugello today. The Repsol Honda Team rider will share the front row with Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, who overcame a neck injury for a front row slot.
Until Free Practice 4, Pedrosa had not been quickest in any practice session so far this weekend but, shortly after Lorenzo had beaten his pole position record of 2012, overcame his compatriot with a best effort of 1’47.157. This left less than a tenth of a second between the top two, with Dovizioso cementing a front row position for the second consecutive race; this was notwithstanding the fact that the leading Italian was on painkillers after crashing on Friday. The top eight riders all enjoyed a short time on the provisional front row, but a flurry of changes made for an action-packed Q2.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow will start fourth, still riding with a broken leg, as LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl pipped Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez for the middle slot on the second row; incidentally, the rookie had crashed in each of the first three practices – not least on Friday afternoon when he was fortunate to escape a high-speed accident – and had progressed to the shootout from Q1 for the first time. Crutchlow on the other hand had crashed in the Q2 session, yet cited that it had a positive side, as he found out he preferred the set-up on his second bike.
Lorenzo’s teammate Valentino Rossi – riding with a turtle-inspired helmet design – was disappointed to have plummeted to seventh at the last moment, heading up Row 3 from Ducati’s Nicky Hayden and GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista. Michele Pirro achieved the first top ten qualifying result for the Ducati GP13 Lab bike, leading the fourth row from Tech 3’s Bradley Smith and Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro, who unlike on previous occasions had headed directly to Q2.
Failing to pass through to Q2 on his second bike, Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone will start his first premier class home Grand Prix from 13th place, although teammate Ben Spies has pulled out of the weekend as he continues to suffer pain with a pectoral muscle. Accompanying Iannone on Row 5 will be Randy de Puniet (14th) and Hector Barbera (15th) for their respective Aspar and Avintia Blusens outfits. Gresini CRT runner Bryan Staring managed 22nd position on his 26th birthday, one spot ahead of Avintia’s Hiroshi Aoyama who had endured two accidents earlier on in the day.
MotoGP™ Qualifying Practice Classification
1 Dani Pedrosa 1’47.157 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 1’47.226 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Andrea Dovizioso 1’47.628 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
4 Cal Crutchlow 1’47.632 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Stefan Bradl 1’47.737 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
6 Marc Marquez 1’47.763 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
7 Valentino Rossi 1’47.872 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
8 Nicky Hayden 1’48.006 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
9 Alvaro Bautista 1’48.355 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
10 Michele Pirro 1’48.564 ITA DUCATI Ducati Test Team
11 Bradley Smith 1’48.706 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
12 Aleix Espargaro 1’48.765 SPA ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Andrea Iannone 1’49.265 ITA DUCATI Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
14 Randy De Puniet 1’49.266 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
15 Hector Barbera 1’49.847 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
16 Danilo Petrucci 1’50.518 ITA IODA-SUTER Came IodaRacing Project
17 Colin Edwards 1’50.701 USA FTR-KAWASAKI NGM Mobile Forward Racing
18 Claudio Corti 1’50.729 ITA FTR-KAWASAKI NGM Mobile Forward Racing
19 Michael Laverty 1’50.787 GBR PBM Paul Bird Motorsport
20 Karel Abraham 1’51.089 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
21 Yonny Hernandez 1’51.239 COL PBM Paul Bird Motorsport
22 Bryan Staring 1’51.981 AUS FTR Go & Fun Honda Gresini
23 Hiroshi Aoyama 1’52.148 JAP FTR Avintia Blusens
24 Lukas Pesek 1’52.345 CZE IODA-SUTER Came IodaRacing Projec
Moto2™ championship leader Scott Redding will start on pole position for the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM at Mugello, with the Marc VDS Racing Team rider sharing Sunday’s front row with Italtrans Racing Team’s Takaaki Nakagami and Desguaces La Torre SAG’s Marcel Schrotter, who achieved a career-best qualifying result.
Englishman Redding sealed the top spot – and his second pole, after Texas – with a best effort of 1’52.958, edging out Japan’s Nakagami, who maintains his 100% front row record for 2013. German Schrotter was highly pleased with third position, having first contested a World Championship race in the 125cc class in 2008.
Row 2 will be made up of Johann Zarco, Nico Terol and Esteve Rabat for Came IodaRacing Project, Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 and Tuenti HP 40 respectively, but there was much frustration for Rabat’s teammate Pol Espargaro who had topped final practice but at the end of qualifying was bumped right down to tenth place.
Desguaces La Torre Maptaq’s Xavier Simeon lines up behind Rabat in seventh, ahead of NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis in eighth, and Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2’s Jordi Torres in ninth. There was a double fall during this session for Mattia Pasini and Louis Rossi, leaving the NGM Mobile Racing and Tech 3 riders 19th and 24th quickest.
Moto2™ Qualifying Practice Classification
1- Scott Redding GBR Kalex 1:52.958
2- Takaaki Nakagami JAP Kalex 1:53.123
3- Marcel Schrotter GER Kalex 1:53.221
Germany’s Jonas Folger will start on pole position for the Moto3™ Gran Premio d’Italia TIM at Mugello. The Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 rider beat championship leader Maverick Viñales by less than one tenth of a second as Alex Rins completed the front row.
Folger, who is currently fourth in the championship standings, had led the opening practice session on Friday, and once again returned to the top courtesy of his late 1’57.603 lap time. Team Calvo’s Viñales is well placed to defend his lead in the title race, whereas Rins starts on the front row for the fourth time in three races so far this year. Row 2 will be occupied by Caretta Technology – RTG’s Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Luis Salom and Mahindra Racing’s Miguel Oliveira.
GO&FUN Honda Gresini Moto3’s Niccolo Antonelli will be the leading Italian rider on the grid from seventh spot, hoping to defend off the start line from Redox RW Racing GP’s Jakub Kornfeil (who missed second practice due to labyrinthitis, an inner ear complaint), Ambrogio Racing’s Danny Webb (who returns after suffering concussion at Le Mans) and Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Marquez. In 31st spot, Mahindra’s Efren Vazquez continued to suffer pain from his broken right collarbone.
Arthur Sissis – “I’m OK. The qualifying session was a little difficult. We made few changes to the bike and the track conditions were radically different from the morning, especially in terms of the heat. I didn’t have a good feel with the front end and found it hard to match my morning times. This afternoon we will work to see what we can change. I hope that tomorrow we can have a good race.”
Moto3™ Qualifying Practice Classification
1- Jonas Folger GER Kalex KTM 1:57.603
2- Maverick Viñales SPA KTM 1:57.669
3- Alex Rins SPA KTM 1:58.046
— HRC Report
Repsol Honda RC213V rider Dani Pedrosa left it until the very last moment to claim a dazzling first pole position of the year at Mugello today, setting the fastest-ever lap of the spectacular 5.245km Mugello circuit in the Tuscan foothills.
Team-mate Marc Marquez was hardly less impressive. The 20-year-old class rookie bounced back from a shocking crash yesterday – possibly the fastest ever in Grand Prix history – to claim sixth place, on the second row of the grid.
Pedrosa is the only rider to win more than one race this year, and is aiming for a third win in succession to cement his World Championship points lead. His progress had started relatively slowly yesterday, when he was only fifth fastest. Overnight work adjusting his Honda RC213V to the fast and flowing circuit bore fruit, however; and a supreme effort at the very end of the crucial 15-minute final qualifying saw him edge Spanish rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) to second.
Bad weather on Friday meant a damp start to free practice, robbing all riders of set-up time at the spectacular Italian circuit, which combines a long and undulating 1.1-km straight with fast looping corners and high-speed to-and-fro chicanes. The forecast was for continued rain, but the second of three days confounded the predictions, with sunshine breaking through a patchy cloud cover.
A strong qualifying performance put Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) as next-best Honda, placed fifth in the middle of the second row, equalling his best grid positions so far this year. German former Moto2 champion Bradl is pushing to wipe out the memory of a disappointing tenth two weeks ago at Le Mans, when he slipped off while running with the front group, as well as a pair of earlier non-finishes.
Marquez had a miraculous escape from serious injury on Friday afternoon after locking the front wheel at 337 km/h, running off the track, and then leaping clear at barely undiminished speed before the bike struck a trackside wall. He returned today sporting a white bandage on his bruised and scraped chin, the only visible injury, though he also hurt an arm and a leg in the crash. Nothing daunted, he lay second in final qualifying in the closing stages, when he was pushed to sixth. After two pole positions this year, it is only the second time in five races the reigning Moto2 champion and MotoGP-class rookie has not been on the front row.
Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) will start directly behind Marquez on row three, after qualifying ninth. The Spanish rider is the only man in the field using Showa suspension, combining racing with a testing/development role.
Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini team-mate Bryan Staring qualified 22nd, on the Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT machine, escaping unhurt from a tumble in morning free practice. The Australian GP rookie, learning the circuits as he goes along, is looking to score his first World Championship points as he finds his feet in the class.
In the Honda powered Moto2 class, British rider Scott Redding claimed his second pole position of the season, riding a completely rebuilt Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex after the bike was all-but destroyed in a tumbling crash in the morning. The rider escaped uninjured and bounced back to top the time-sheets when it mattered. Redding, who won two weeks ago at Le Mans, is leading the World Championship so far.
Japanese Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex) continued his impressive run of front-row starts – including one pole position – by qualifying second, less than two-tenths slower. German Marcel Schrotter (Desguaces La Torre SAG Kalex) claimed his first-ever front-row start, qualifying third as he continues to improve in his first full season in the middle class.
Johann Zarco (Came Iodaracing Project Suter) leads the second row from race-two winner Nico Terol (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 Suter) and Jerez winner Esteve Rabat (Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex), but pre-season favourite and Qatar winner Pol Espargaro’s good fortune continues to elude him as the season wears on. The Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex rider qualified tenth, on the fourth row of the grid.
Australian Jack Miller (Caretta Technology – RTG FTR Honda) narrowly missed his first front-row start of the season in the closing minutes of Moto3 qualifying, but was happy to end up a close fourth, heading the second row and enjoying the to-and-fro nature of the high-speed circuit, where the sweet handling of his machine meant he could make the most of the smooth Honda horsepower. Miller qualified fourth also at the second round in Austin, Texas, where he finished a season-best sixth.
Italian Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini FTR Honda) will start directly behind Miller after qualifying seventh at his home circuit to head the third row. The 17-year-old is hoping for a change of luck and a chance to score his first points of the season in the very competitive junior class.
The next Honda is at the far end of the same row. English rider Danny Webb (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) consolidated a strong weekend by qualifying ninth fastest. He missed the last race after fracturing his foot in practice, but has returned at full strength. Team-mate Brad Binder, from South Africa, was less than half-a-second slower, and placed 11th.
Binder was at the head of a phalanx of machines powered by Honda’s 250cc Moto3 engine. Twelfth to 14th were occupied by Alan Techer (CIP TSR Honda), Isaac Vinales (Bimbo Ongetta-Centro Seta FTR Honda) and John McPhee (Caretta Technology-RTG FTR Honda); with two more – Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold FTR Honda) and Alessandro Tonucci (Team La Fonte Tasca Racing Honda) placed 16th and 17th in a field of 34 riders.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): first – 1m 47.157s
“Today the track conditions were good, the tyres worked well and we improved the bike. All this helped us a lot to increase our pace and this is the most important thing. Qualifying was difficult, because we were behind for a large part of the session, but we managed a great last lap and took pole. Now we have some ideas to improve the bike for tomorrow and hope to have a strong race.”
Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V): fifth – 1m 47.737s
“Actually this fifth position is very important for us and I am pleased with the improvement we achieved. All the Honda riders have a better pace thanks to the better temperature of the asphalt. The qualifying was a bit tough for us as we were waiting until the last moment to get the best lap time. I am looking forward to the race tomorrow because we have the potential to take the first podium. I am sure it will be an exciting race with the guys in the front.”
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V): sixth – 1m 47.763s
“Sixth place today was the best that we could have hoped for and I am very happy with this result. At the end of qualifying I was able to put in a hot lap, but the race tomorrow is going to be difficult and tough. I won’t be 100 percent physically, because I’m bruised and sore. My shoulder is bothering me the most, and we will see how it responds tomorrow. We are going to give our all, in any case, and see where we end up.”
Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini): ninth – 1m 48.355s
“I am not particularly happy with our position on the grid for tomorrow. I felt I could do a better lap than that because we have improved my confidence with the bike compared to yesterday … but we didn’t manage it. My race pace is good, and hopefully if we can get a good start we can stick with the lead group and fight for a top-five position at the end.”
Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda): 22nd – 1m 51.981s
“This is proving to be a difficult weekend for me. I am struggling to get a feel for the track and the crash this morning made things even more difficult. We made some improvements this afternoon but the gap to the guys in front is still too big. Despite everything I am still confident for the race, because I think if we can make a good start and follow some guys who know the track well I can get a better reference.”
Moto2 Rider quotes
Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team): first – 1m 52.985s
“I wasn’t really expecting pole today, especially after the crash this morning. While it was a small crash for me, the same wasn’t true of the bike, which was pretty much wrecked. I have to say a big thank you to my mechanics, but also to Mika’s, as they all pitched in to get me a new bike built up for qualifying. After two laps I’d forgotten about this morning completely, despite a bit of a moment in the same place early on. The new bike felt better than the previous one, after a few set-up changes ahead of qualifying, so I was able to find a good rhythm straight away. Then it was just a case of staying out of the way and picking off the laps. I’m happy to be on pole for the second time this season, but now we need to focus on the race.”
Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team): second – 1m 53.123s
“Qatar, Austin, Le Mans, Mugello… another front row for tomorrow’s race. I’m pleased because we have been very consistent and constant all the weekend so far, and my pace is fast – it’s really good. I’m convinced that everyone among the top guys will improve, so we must work to have even a better feeling with the bike for the race. I’m ready to fight for the podium.”
Marcel Schrotter (Desguaces La Torre SAG): third – 1m 53.221s
“I am really happy with my first front row. I didn’t expect it, but all weekend we had quite a good pace and I can see we are making progress. We are improving and getting closer all the time. I am feeling really good on the bike, and I have to thank the team for making it better at every race. It is nice to see it step by step.”
Honda Moto3 Rider quotes
Jack Miller (Caretta Technology – RTG): fourth – 1m 58.056s
“I’m quite surprised, at this track. I like it, but you do need a lot of horsepower. A good chassis can help out, especially in the quick changes of direction. My bike is definitely helping me. For the race I’ll try to get a gap early in the race before the tyres go off, and take it from there.”
Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini): seventh – 1m 58.724s
“Luckily I was able to bank a fast lap on my first run that meant I could tackle the rest of the session in a calm way. Then on my fastest lap I ran into some traffic and that prevented me from showing my true potential. But it is still not a bad starting position and if I can get away well I should be able to run with the front group. The feeling with the bike is good and even though we still want to make some more improvements before tomorrow I really feel comfortable here at Mugello, which is a track I really like.”
Danny Webb (Ambrogio Racing): ninth – 1m 58.910s
“The whole weekend has been pretty good – no trouble from my foot, and I can ride without painkillers. I only got a few laps in the first session yesterday, but it was wet anyway. From yesterday afternoon it’s been working well. I came into qualifying feeling confident. All weekend I’ve had a good pace and been consistent. The only place we struggle a bit is on the straights, but if you pick up a slipstream you are okay. I’ll be trying to do that in tomorrow’s race.”
— Yamaha Report
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo continued yesterday’s blistering form this afternoon at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, taking second on the grid in qualifying for tomorrow’s Gran Premio d’Italia. The reigning World Champion was fast straight out of the box in the tense 15 minute heat, dipping under the lap record on his first full lap with a scorching 1’47.621 effort to take provisional pole. After a change of rear rubber he was back out with six minutes remaining and looked certain to retain pole with an even more impressive 1’47.226 lap. Unfortunately a late effort by rival Dani Pedrosa improved the lap time by just 0.069 seconds, taking pole and relegating Lorenzo to second.
Valentino Rossi was caught up in a busy track from the start of the short session and struggled to find a clear space to record his best lap time. The Italian rose initially to third with an impressive 1’47.832 and looked good for a front row until a flurry of late activity pushed him to seventh position on the third row for tomorrow’s race.
Jorge Lorenzo 2nd, Time 1’47.226 – 8 laps
“We still suffer a little bit when the weather is hotter, we don’t have the same grip. Even with this issue we have been competitive though, in the free practice and also in the qualifying. I was surprised to be so fast in the first lap when I made a 47.6. I was also surprised about the lap time from Marquez on his first try and also the lap time from Dani. I thought the 47.2 lap was enough for pole position but Dani was faster so it wasn’t. The important thing is to make a good start tomorrow, to get in front and to go away if possible. If not possible, the race is long and we have to be consistent. We have to improve some small details but in general the bike is better here than at the other tracks.”
Valentino Rossi 7th, Time 1’47.872 – 8 laps
“The practices are not so bad because we have a good pace for the race which is important. As always in the qualifying we suffer more than the others. They use the slipstream of the others and are able to go a bit faster than me. Unfortunately I have to start on the third row but I’m quite happy because my pace is quite good so I think with a good start I can do a good race. We will see tomorrow.”
Wilco Zeelenberg – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“A very exciting qualifying. We have a very good pace and Jorge did two fantastic laps. Dani was in seventh or sixth and panicking a bit, I think he had to do it in the last lap and he was one tenth faster. Anyway, tomorrow is the race, we would of course like to be on pole but tomorrow is a different story. Tomorrow we get the points so we concentrate on that and make sure we have a good pace.”
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“It has been a pity that we lost pole position for just a fraction of a second when we led for most of the practices and we had a very strong pace, Jorge is very fast and consistent. Valentino has also a good pace and showed it in the last free practice. I think tomorrow is going to be a really tough race but I think there are all the ingredients for Yamaha to be in the front and fighting for victory.”
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith delivered heroic performances in a tense and dramatic qualifying session ahead of tomorrow’s Mugello MotoGP race in Italy.
British rider Crutchlow’s hopes of a second front row start in the 2013 World Championship appeared to have ended when he fell heavily but unhurt at Turn 3 shortly before the halfway point of QP2. The 27-year-old dashed back to the paddock to jump immediately on his second YZR-M1 machine, but at that stage Crutchlow had fallen down to seventh on the time sheets. Undeterred by the earlier crash, Crutchlow brilliantly kept his focus to rocket into the top three with a stunning lap of 1.47.771 in the decisive final moments. As the action intensified, Crutchlow dropped back to sixth before improving his pace again, a breathless final lap of 1.47.632 ensuring he will start from fourth position on the grid for the fourth race in a row this season. A first front row start since the opening race in Qatar eluded Crutchlow by just 0.004s in a session that took place in easily the best conditions of the weekend so far, with a strong and warm sun finally penetrating through the grey and gloomy skies that dominated yesterday’s practice.
Heroic performances are becoming a trademark of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in 2013 after Crutchlow raced to a career best second place in Le Mans last month with a broken bone in his right leg. Today was no exception, with Smith showing bravery and determination above and beyond the call of duty after he suffered a nasty hand injury in a high-speed practice fall yesterday afternoon. Smith had already rode through the pain barrier to earn a place in QP2, and despite constant pain and discomfort coming from a badly damaged little finger on his left hand, a lap of 1.48.706 secured the 22-year-old a hard earned but richly deserved 11th spot on the grid.
Cal Crutchlow 4th, Time 1’47.632 – 7 laps
“That was certainly another eventful qualifying session and after crashing out I can’t complain too much to finish fourth and be only 0.004s away from the front row. Luckily I could make it back to the paddock pretty quickly and get out on the second bike and to be on the second row is a good result given what happened. I have been struggling all weekend with the bike to be honest. And although this is my third year at this track, I still don’t feel so comfortable, so to be near the front and not running a bad pace gives me confidence for the race. I need to improve in the first sector and that was my biggest issue yesterday, so we have work to do. It is going to be a long and tough race and we need to make the bike work better. My Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is doing an awesome job to help me find the best setting and hopefully I can be fighting for the podium again tomorrow like I was in Le Mans.”
Bradley Smith 11th, Time 1.48.706 – 5 laps
“First of all I was just happy that I was able to ride today after the big crash in practice yesterday. My left hand is not in the best condition but the Clinica Mobile staff did an incredible job working on my finger and my wrist. Sometimes there were four people working on me at the same time, so I owe a huge thanks to all of them for helping me to be out on track today. Considering this whole situation I really have to be happy to have made my way to QP2, even if 11th is a little bit disappointing. But I preferred to save my energy for tomorrow’s race, which will probably be very demanding from a physical point of view, instead of risking too much for a better lap time this afternoon. I’m also very pleased with the set-up of the bike and we just need to make a couple of small changes for the warm up, but all things considered we should be proud of what we achieved given my physical condition. Now I will just try to get as much rest as possible for tomorrow as I want to collect a decent number of points for the Championship and hopefully battle for another top 10.”
— Ducati Report
Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso turned in an emotional performance during qualifying at Mugello, the Italian manufacturer’s home track, posting an inspired final lap in the Q2 session that put him on the front row for tomorrow’s TIM Italian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, grip problems limited teammate Nicky Hayden to eighth-best, and the American will start from row three.
Making the Italian’s accomplishment even sweeter was the fact that following a hard fall yesterday, he hadn’t been sure if he’d be able to ride, due to a sore neck. However, thanks in part to intensive physiotherapy, he managed to record the third-best time, achieving his second front-row qualifying performance in a row.
Thanks to a strong ride in FP3, Ducati Test Team rider Michele Pirro made it into the Q2 session for the first time, and the Italian will start the race from the tenth spot on the grid.
Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 3rd (1:47.628)
“It feels incredible to make it onto the first row at Mugello, especially as a Ducati rider! It was one of my goals, but I still can’t believe it, particularly after yesterday’s crash. The Clinica Mobile and my physiotherapist did a really good job of making my neck feel better, which gave me the opportunity to push hard in qualifying. It still bothers me, but I can push at almost 100%, and because yesterday I didn’t even know if I’d be able to race, I’m very happy. We worked really well this morning, improving the setup a little, and I was pretty fast this afternoon, but when the tyres wear a little our pace isn’t good enough to fight for the podium. Anyway, we’ll try to do our best to get a good result tomorrow for Ducati and all our fans.”
Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 8th (1:48.006)
“Today didn’t go as well as I had expected, and I’m not happy to be eighth. I was almost a half-second faster in qualifying here last year, and I was also better in the test we did here a month ago. I haven’t been able to get the grip I need to make the bike turn. Both ends are moving around a bit at the apex, and I’m getting pumping on the exit. The bike was improved for qualifying, but I still wasn’t able to do a good enough lap to get on the first two rows. We just need to see where I can improve and try to do something better tomorrow.”
Michele Pirro – Ducati Test Team, 10th (1:48.564)
“I’m happy to have taken part in Q2, which seemed almost like a Saturday race! However, I don’t think I took advantage of the extra grip that the new tyre can give this bike in qualifying, like Dovizioso did. All in all, I’m quite pleased to have been pretty fast and consistent in all the sessions. That means that the new bike is starting to improve, and that we’ve taken a step forward from Jerez.”
— Bridgestone Report
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Medium Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
Weather: FP3 – Dry. Ambient 17-19°C; Track 21-26°C (Bridgestone measurement)
FP4 & QP1/2 – Dry. Ambient 22-24°C; Track 42-44°C (Bridgestone measurement)
Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa beat his own qualifying lap record at Mugello to claim his first pole position of the season in an enthralling day of action in Italy.
Pedrosa’s lap time of 1’47.157 came on his last lap and relegated Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo – who also lapped under the existing qualifying lap record today – to second place by 0.069 seconds. Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso ensured three different manufacturers at the front of the grid and plenty of smiles for the Italian fans with a best lap time of 1’47.628 that settled him in third place. Having entered directly into QP2 after a strong performance in FP3 this morning, Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro was the best qualifier among the CRT entries, setting a time of 1’48.765 to qualify in P12.
The morning cloud cover lifted for the afternoon sessions, with dry track conditions and a peak track temperature of 44°C offering excellent conditions for the time attack in qualifying. The temperatures experienced today were still lower than historically recorded at Mugello, so all riders preferred using the softer rear slick option for greater grip and warm-up performance in combination with the harder front slick that gives superior front-end stability. It is expected that if the dry conditions prevail tomorrow that this same combination of slick tyres will be widely used.
Tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix will start at 1400 local time tomorrow (GMT +2) with Morning Warm Up taking place from 0940-1000.
Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“The pace we saw today was very good with two riders lapping under the existing qualifying lap record and it is pleasing to see three different manufacturers on the front row! Track temperatures were the highest we’ve seen this weekend but it was still a bit cooler than usual for Mugello, so hardly any riders evaluated the harder rear slicks today. In FP4 many riders did long runs on the softer rear slicks and the durability of this option was good, so if we have a dry race tomorrow I expect that the combination of the harder front and softer rear slicks will be popular. ”