Aspar’s 125cc Squad Shines In Overcast Catalunya Qualifying
Thick black clouds hung over the Circuit de Catalunya just moments before 125cc qualifying took place this afternoon but thankfully the threat of a rainstorm abated as the riders took to the track in search of a quick early lap. Concern for the conditions made for an entertaining start to the session with various surprises at the top of the timesheets but as time progressed normal order was restored, with Nico Terol leading a group of seven home favourites in the top ten.
BANKIA Aspar rider Terol is the man to beat after dominating every session so far but one rider with hopes of doing that is his team-mate Héctor Faubel, who cloched the second fastest time today. Pole position for Nico is his fourth of the season whilst Héctor could have been closer than the four tenths that separate them but for a mistake on his penultimate lap. Adrián Martín, the third BANKIA Aspar rider, also showed good form, chasing Nico over the closing laps to secure a second row start.
1st Nico Terol 1.51.281 (17 laps):
“I felt good. My feeling with the bike was good all day and at the end of the session we made a change to the front fork that didn’t work as we hoped. It was just a small thing and overall I am happy with our pace. The bike is working well in terms of both engine and chassis and the weather has been kind so we have to be pleased. My fourth pole of the year was not an easy one because Héctor was pushing hard and it will be difficult to escape tomorrow, but my goal is to break the group up as much as possible from the start and see how the race develops from there. I expect Viñales to find something extra in his home race but my team-mate Héctor will be very strong too, no doubt.”
2nd Héctor Faubel 1.51.683 (17 laps):
“This afternoon was our first opportunity to lap fully in the dry. I knew I would be comfortable in the right conditions and that was the case. I am delighted with our performance. I was on a red helmet during my penultimate lap but I got carried away and made a mistake. Nico has dominated by some distance but if we keep on this way and continue to improve our feeling we can challenge for the victory tomorrow. Nico is really strong off the line and I need to work on that aspect but if I get away well tomorrow I can hopefully latch on to his slipstream. If the weather is like this tomorrow we will have to push hard from the start to stay with him but for now I am happy. The bike is great – it feels completely different.”
10th Adrián Martín 1.52.747 (17 laps):
“I am happy to finish up tenth because I have been competitive throughout the session today. I want to thank Nico for letting me follow him for the last five minutes because it really helped me find the right line. I was doing well in the first two sectors but struggling in the last two and it’s a shame because almost up to the end I was in the top five but on the last lap a group of guys got behind Maverick and improved their times. It dropped me back on the grid but I’m not bothered because my pace is good and if I get a good start and hang on to the front group we can have a good race.”
Source: Aspar Media