MotoGP qualification
More from a press release from Dorna:
Pecco takes pole position with another maniac in Texas
Quartararo starts second, Marquez locks out the front row and Miller faces another attack while the grid is ready for a classic
Sunday, October 03, 2021
Three is now a magic number for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on Saturdays. With a lead of more than three tenths of a second, Pecco is only the second rider to start from pole in Texas after Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), but he has company with key championship rival Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). . The Frenchman is again second to keep an eye on the Italian, with the aforementioned COTA Sheriff Marc Marquez having to settle for third place – but it’s the first front row of the year as the eight-time world champion is back after his fight the front continues at the top.
Q1
Reigning champ Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had fallen behind in Q1 and was looking for a way out, and for much of the session it seemed like he was going to get through the quickest. But Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) had other ideas, and the Italian rookie took a late lunge on the tip to take the lead. However, I stayed second to prevail and defeat Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Sprinta Racing) drove a good lap late, but the Italian was overtaken behind other drivers and narrowly missed.
Valentino Rossi (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed, as did Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), drivers okay.
Q2
After the first rounds in the second quarter, it was the King of COTA who secured the throne – certainly on Saturday – with Marc Marquez in front of the chasing group. But there was still a lot in the closet for Quartararo and Bagnaia, and the eight-time world champion could not quite improve on his previous best performance.
However, Pecco could. The Italian showed an absolute force late and put everything on his second and last attempt at the front. The Italian crossed the finish line with a lead of almost half a second over Marquez and crossed the finish line to take the provisional pole position. Quartararo and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) were still missing …
Quartararo was up initially, but for Miller the attack never came. The Australian was unable to repeat his scorching form from previous sessions and was out of the race after time ran out. What could El Diablo do? Since the times came later in the round, it wouldn’t be enough, and Marquez hadn’t made a better effort. For the first time ever, someone other than number 93 is on pole position at COTA: Bagnaia.
The grid
Bagnaia leads Quartararo as the first two to lock the top again, now with Marquez by his side as an eight-time world champion in third place. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), who had been behind Marquez when the Honda driver was fighting for provisional pole, stayed there and now leads the second row – also as the best independent team driver.
It’s actually a completely independent second row, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) continuing the good weekend in fifth place and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) driving back to the sharp end in P6 after his arm pump operation prior to the event.
2019 COTA winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pushed reigning champion and teammate Joan Mir to P7 as the Suzuki duo led the third row, followed by Marini, who as a Q1 graduate showed his impressive form in Q2 continued and was ninth.
Miller is tenth and is eager to assert himself again, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) the last of them in Q2, respectively in P11 and P12.
This is a final point on Saturday because the stage is perfectly prepared after qualifying … the first two of the championship and the King of COTA lead the grid, with another horsepower rodeo just around the corner. Can Marquez make seven out of eight? Can Bagnaia become the first Ducati rider since Casey Stoner to win three on the go? Or will Quartararo get Yamaha’s first win in Texas? Tune in at 14:00 (GMT -5) to find out.
Francesco Bagnaia: “We worked a lot all weekend, we took a big step in FP4, because I was in trouble up to FP3. But we took a big step in FP4 and I really enjoyed the lap in qualifying because I wasn’t expecting it. On the first lap I saw that I had a lead and it was possible to do another lap, then on the second try I tried to push from the first brake and everything was perfect, well, the last corner was a bit wide, but everything was fine. I am very happy, it is very important to start from P1. “
Raul Fernandez continues to rule the position in Moto2 
The rookie takes a sensational sixth pole, but this time Gardner starts alongside
Raul Fernandez prevailed in another Red Bull KTM Ajo qualifying duel at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas as the first two of the World Championship lineups P1 and P2 on the grid for the Sunday race. Leader Gardner was 0.320 behind Fernandez ‘2: 08.979 as the rookie got the upper hand on Saturday, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) gaining a first start from the front row since the German GP in 3rd place.
Q1
Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) found some pace to beat the session by three tenths, ahead of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) when the rookie Italian did the job in second to prevail. The gaps from there were tiny, with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) only 0.014 and Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) 0.040 behind Chantra.
That was enough to pull them off and that failed because of Marcel Shrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and it was a tough session for Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) as the home hero finished Q1 in P12.
Q2
Di Giannantonio led the early stages of Moto2 Q2, but Gardner took the lead with just over five minutes to go, if only 0.063. Raul Fernandez was third and two tenths behind his title rival after his opener, with Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Heimheld Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) early within the preliminary top 5.
With four minutes to go, Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed into P15 uninjured, and then all eyes were on Raul Fernandez. The Spaniard was 0.029 under Gardner’s time in the second split and then an impressive three-tenths faster through sector 3. In fact, it was P1 for Raul Fernandez on his final flying lap, a scorching time that secured him pole at COTA. Gardner will have to settle for second place, but will be happy to have reached Saturda, with Diggia hanging in the front row.
The grid
Behind Raul Fernandez, Gardner and Diggia at the head of the field, Bezzecchi and Beaubier held their positions in the final stages, taking P4 and P5 rows in Texas, while his MotoAmerica experience and home magic come to the fore. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) starts from the outside of row 2 on P6.
Rookie Arbolino gets his best Q2 result since the Italian GP and is in seventh place ahead of his rookie colleague Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia). The reigning Moto3 world champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) in 9th place and Vietti in 10th place make it six rookies among the top 10 in Moto2 qualifying – a phenomenal job of the less experienced riders in the intermediate class on a demanding and long one Route.
Raul Fernandez vs. Remy Gardner: A showdown between teammates and title rivals awaits in Texas, but who will prevail? And can Beaubier claim a dream house GP podium for himself? Find out when the Moto2 race starts at 12:20 pm local time (GMT-5)!
Raul Fernández: “I’m really happy, it was an incredible lap, especially because we changed tires in the middle of practice, and I was really happy. I was a bit surprised, I didn’t know how to improve before the tire change, but when I saw the lap time I thought, wow, amazing! It was a really difficult ride this weekend with the bumps, but in the end I’m really competitive, but so is Remy on this track and I hope we have a good fight tomorrow. “
Masia masters COTA to contest Foggia pole
The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider is back at the top in Texas, Foggia second and Acosta in 15th place
Jaume Masia is back on top in Texas! The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider took his fourth career pole and the second of the season at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, beating Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) by a few tenths at the top. Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) completes the front row, just 0.003 ahead of Foggia.
Q1
In Q1, both Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and teammate John McPhee were looking for a way and they both found one, but it was rookie Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) who led the session despite a crash. Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team) was the last rider to get through.
Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama) crashed, driver ok and just missed 0.028.
Q2
The battle for pole boiled down to Masia versus Foggia, with the Spaniard taking the lead as the Italian made his final push. Behind team-mate Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing), Foggia’s first sector was a red sector, but as the lap went he lost touch enough to take on a real challenge for pole. That left Masia unchallenged in taking his second pole of the season, but Foggia still starts second as he continues his mission to close the gap to the championship. Alcoba was third.
The world championship leader Acosta, who also drove with teammate Masia, could not do much at the top and finished 15th, while his rookies Izan Guevara (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team) and Artigas left him a little behind on Saturday and finished fourth and fifth or
The grid
Masia, Foggia and Alcoba lead the grid ahead of the rookie duo. For Guevara it is his second best qualifying so far and it is Artigas’ best, albeit best starting position of the season … not an easy task for drivers making their debut at Mammut COTA. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completes row 2.
Friday’s fastest, Filip Salač (CarXpert PrüstelGP) leads the third row, ahead of Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). McPhee completes the top ten with two-time COTA winner Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) on a somewhat surprising P11 and Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) on P13.
Acosta 15th, Foggia at the front and Masia without this pressure at the zenith of the title fight could make for an interesting racing day in Texas. Make sure you compete in Moto3 versus COTA on Sunday at 11:00 (GMT -5). Can Foggia Do It Again?
Jaume Masia: “I didn’t expect this lap because I had a moment on the first tire at Turn 3 on the first run, but on the last lap I tried not to lose too much time in the first sector because the track was super long is to fill the gap. But I had a good reference and it was really helpful. “
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