Espargaro secures best qualifying result since 2014
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro will start from the front row of the grid for the first time since the 2014 French Grand Prix, after the Spaniard stormed to third position in qualifying at Phillip Island.
Espargaro joined compatriot and former Moto2 foe Marc Marquez in running slick tyres on both the front and rear of his YZR-M1 Yamaha in the ever-drying second part of qualifying. Though unable to match the pace of Marquez, Espargaro was quick straight away when he returned to track and immediately threatened the front row.
With the final minute of QP2 counting down, Espargaro was locked in a duel with his older brother Aleix on the factory Suzuki for the front row. The Tech 3 rider came into qualifying three tenths of a second adrift of Aleix in FP3, and wasn’t about to be outdone once again.
Espargaro dug deep and produced a final effort of 1m31.107s to go third fastest, half a second clear of his Suzuki-mounted brother and just two tenths of a second off of second-placed man Cal Crutchlow. After a woeful day for both factory riders and his teammate Bradley Smith, Espargaro starts tomorrow’s 27-lap Australian Grand Prix as the top Yamaha.
Twitter: RT @polespargaro: Yeeeeeaaaaahhhh!!! #P3 #AustralianGP @MotoGP #PE44 https://t.co/dKtk6klCjj (@MotoGP)
Despite starting third, Espargaro is keeping his feet on the ground, admitting that a strong qualifying doesn’t necessarily translate to a top finish. That being said, the Spaniard is very much looking forward to the race now.
“I am very happy with the qualifying result and it is a great feeling, but also a little bit strange to know that I will start on the front row,” Espargaro said.
“This weekend has not been easy with regards to the weather, but we always have to expect it to be like this here at Phillip Island. However, in qualifying, we were lucky because it didn’t rain and we were fast straight away. For sure, it’s risky to go out on slicks whilst the sky is dark and it looks like it could rain at any moment, but at the end of the day, we made the right choice at the right time and we got the front row.
“Of course, this does not mean that we will automatically finish in the top five tomorrow and I expect a tough fight, but today’s result is positive for us, the team and the sponsors. We did a good job and now we will have to see what we can do in the dry conditions tomorrow. We have only ridden a handful of laps in the dry, so it is really useful that the warm up have been extended, but anyway, I am delighted with today’s performance and I look forward to the race.”