Italian GP – Quali Quotes 125cc & 250cc
125cc
1st Bradley Smith 1.58.134 (17 laps): “It has been a great day for me, setting pole position and a new lap record with it. My race pace is also really good. I was extremely focused today and everything worked out. I’ve been on pole before and I know that it doesn’t necessarily meaning everything is perfect for tomorrow. It is always difficult to escape when there’s a straight as long as this one and I think we’re going to see about eight or even ten riders fighting in the front group. So far it’s been a fantastic weekend and now I’m just hoping for a good start tomorrow. We made a few adjustments to improve the front end feel today and to be honest I don’t think we can make it much better now. The Aprilia engine is working perfectly and that will be crucial to make sure we don’t lose even the slightest bit of time on the straight tomorrow. There are obviously a few riders ahead of the game but like I said before I think it will be a group race and even the slightest mistake will be paid for dearly.”
3rd Julián Simón 1.58.575 (17 laps): “I’m really happy with how practice has gone. I would have loved to be on pole because I was fastest in both free practice sessions so I’m pretty gutted about that but I’m also happy for Smith because it was an incredible lap. My main plan for the race is to get a good start and then just keep my pace up because I know it is good. My Aprilia is completely ready so the target is to win and if that’s not possible then finish the race and score points. I think it will be a group race of only three or four riders and it will be a fight for the win between Smith and myself. It’s going to be fun and I think it will go right to the wire. Past races at Mugello have shown that the person who leads out of the last corner doesn’t usually win so we’ll see what happens.”
4th Sergio Gadea 1.58.621 (16 laps): “I’m happy that we’ve been consistent today and I want to keep it going. I suppose it will be the usual group race here tomorrow so I’ll try to stay in touch with the lead group and then play my cards right at the end. The most important thing will be to finish with as many points as possible. Smith is looking really strong and Simón will be able to go with him more easily than I will, but hopefully it will be tight. I was able to follow Julián on the last lap and I could see where he was getting away from me, so that is something for us to work on for tomorrow and if we improve these areas I’ll be more comfortable. I’ve been working on my pace through the final corner all weekend but you never know what can happen there in the race so we won’t worry about it too much and we’ll see what happens.”
250cc
1st Álvaro Bautista 1.52.804 (20 laps): “The truth is that the times are very close! Things didn’t go well this morning and I wasn’t comfortable on the bike. I didn’t have a good feeling with the front and couldn’t brake well or get into the turns as I like. We stiffened the front up a little for the afternoon and it felt like a different bike. I immediately recovered the good feeling I was missing this morning and felt I could do a low 1’52, which I managed. I think we’ve done a great job and our pace is good. All of the riders on the front row are going to want to win at all cost, each of us for their own reasons, so it will be tough. I’ll try to get a good start and stay with the lead group but I’m sure it’s going to be a close battle like Jerez. It is highly satisfying to set pole but the gap between the front three is tight so the important thing tomorrow will be to stay focused.”
14th Mike Di Meglio 1.54.363 (18 laps): “I had a few problems with my right forearm again and I could hardly brake – I was losing feeling for my Aprilia in every corner. I tried to recover as much as I could over lunch for qualifying and then tried to follow a couple of riders over the opening laps to set a good pace and get some references, but my confidence was low. I’m disappointed because under normal circumstances I’m sure I could have done much better. I’m fourteenth on the grid and it will be strange to be so far from the front but I’ll push myself to the limit to have a good race. I just have to get a great start and stay focused to try and make up as many positions as possible. I’ll spend this evening in the Clinica to try and get in the best possible shape for the race. With the way this weekend is going, a top ten finish will be a good result.”
