Sixth place slot on Valencia grid for Pol Espargaro

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro will bolt forward from the rear of the second row tomorrow in what will be his last race aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1, after producing an impressive showing today in Valencia.

The Spaniard kicked off his day by notably speeding to 6th in the morning practice where he finished only 0.487 from the top as he continued his momentum from yesterday. Later, in Q2, he got straight to work and after completing 8 laps, his personal best left him in 6th and just 0.264 from the front row.

The qualifying marks a strong performance by the 2013 Moto2 World Champion and tomorrow he will set his sights on sealing the top independent rider honours in the season finale to close his account with the Tech3 team in a highly positive way.

Pol Espargaro
“I am delighted with my qualifying performance today, and we knew that we could do a good job, which we did, but it was really tight in Q2. Every rider was fast here in Valencia today, yet we started the weekend with a decent pace and I was able to carry this on and then build upon it which allowed me to qualify well. With regards to the circuit, it is quite challenging, and very technical, especially when the electronics are concerned, such as anti wheelie and rear traction control. However, I feel positive here and the Yamaha is working well. It’s always a bit special, as a satellite rider, to begin the GP from the second row, but we’ll enjoy the rest of today knowing that we were competitive and I will try to have fun in my last track appearance with Yamaha. I’ve always been fast in Valencia, so I am pleased about today’s result and even though my expectations are not huge for the race, I am excited to see what we can do tomorrow.”

Source: Tech3