Difficult qualifying session for Bendsneyder and Antonelli at Aragon

23/09/2017

Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 riders unable to get a good fast lap in qualifying session and will start tomorrow from the seventh and eighth row, respectively.

Although MotorLand Aragon experienced low temperatures in the morning, qualifying in the afternoon for the Aragon GP was undertaken in optimal conditions. However, today was not the best day for the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, who were unable to achieve the results they had hoped for in the fight for pole position. Bo Bendsneyder will start from the seventh row in 20th place, while one row behind will be Niccolo Antonelli, in twenty-third.

Track temperatures of 18ºC hindered the work of the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders in the last Free Practice session. These low temperatures prevented the pair from getting their tyres warmed up and performing at their best. Bo Bendsneyder placed thirteenth with a 1:59.501 lap, with Niccolo Antonelli seventeenth -1:59.863-.

Track conditions for qualifying was much more favourable. Bendsneyder came out ready to fight to set a good fast lap, repeating his FP3 time on his opening stint. From that moment on, the Dutchman kept up his pace and shaved a few thousandths off his time in the only lap of his third run. His best lap of the afternoon was a 1:59.505, for twentieth place. Antonelli did not have the same feeling as yesterday and on his final lap found himself alone without the slipstreams so important at MotorLand. A 1:59.697 best time put him twenty-third on the grid.

The Moto3 Aragon GP starts tomorrow at 11am. Last year, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder clinched the Moto3 title with second position.

Results (Qualifying Practice)
1. Jorge Martin (Honda) 1:58.067
2. Enea Bastianini (Honda) 1:58.425 +0.358
3. Aron Canet (Honda) 1:58.516 +0.449
4. Nicolo Bulega (KTM) 1:58.593 +0.526
5. Dennis Foggia (KTM) 1:58.768 +0.701
20. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:59.505 +1.438
23. Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:59.697 +1.630

 

23 NICCOLO ANTONELLI
“It hasn’t been our best day, because we couldn’t go fast at any time and we are going to start from very far back. I hope that tomorrow we can gain some positions and improve the feeling we had today. In qualifying our strategy didn’t work out as we had expected. Many riders decided to form a single group and I gambled on riding alone -which ended up being more difficult for me. Tomorrow we will try to make a great start, which will allow us to catch the front groups and make a good comeback.”

64 BO BENDSNEYDER
“The day didn’t go too well, and our grid position is not very good either, but I think tomorrow we can do a good job. Qualifying is based on getting a good lap and unfortunately today we couldn’t do that. We have a good feeling with the bike and I’m very happy with my pace, which is similar to the best lap I’ve ever done in qualifying, and that’s a good thing. I can’t wait to race tomorrow; it will be tough, because we’ll start from far back, but I know it is possible to gain places. It will be important to make a good start and then fight our utmost, as I want to get a good result.”

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