Faubel Clinches Last Minute Pole At Aragon
Intense heat once again welcomed the 125cc riders to Motorland today but with lower temperatures and the possibility of rain forecast for tomorrow, anything could happen in the minor category race. The pace was also hot today, the top three riders lapping inside record pace and all three of them looking for a home victory tomorrow. BANKIA Aspar rider Nico Terol dominated for the first half hour of qualifying but an entertaining battle for pole took place in the final ten minutes, with Maverick Viñales, Johann Zarco and Danny Kent all mounting a challenge only for Terol’s team-mate Héctor Faubel to steal the honour of starting from the front of the grid.
The oldest rider in the category, Faubel made sure his experience counted today with a late charge that took him into the 1’59s on his penultimate lap before a final effort of 1’59.222 at the chequered flag left his rivals no opportunity to respond. The BANKIA Aspar rider’s season has been on the up ever since his victory in Germany and tomorrow he will start from pole position for the first time since Malaysia 2007. Terol will also line up on the front row after lapping just a tenth slower than his team-mate, also inside the circuit record, with both riders targeting the victory tomorrow. BANKIA Aspar youngster Adrián Martín achieved his objective of lapping in the 2’00s, allowing him to qualifying eleventh on the grid.
1st Héctor Faubel 1.59.222 (16 laps):
“I am really happy to be on pole. Thanks to my excellent relationship with my engineer we have been able to solve every little problem over the course of the weekend, improving in every session but holding a little back for the end of qualifying. I was keen not to show my hand and it worked out, even though I was a little worried at the end because we kept running into traffic. To be on pole at home is a source of great motivation and important for me and the team. The lap time is fast, faster than last year, which shows we are doing the job well. I imagine there will be a group at the front tomorrow but it will be tough for anybody to escape.”
3rd Nico Terol 1.59.365 (16 laps):
“I want to congratulate Héctor because he set a fast pace today and improved on the pole from last year, but from my point of view I am happy to be a tenth off him with a good rhythm. In the end I didn’t manage to put one perfect lap together which is a bit annoying but I will save that energy for tomorrow. We had a little problem with the bike this morning but the team did a great job to get it working perfectly this afternoon and overall I am satisfied. It is difficult to escape at this circuit because slipstreams play a big role but I’ll just concentrate on myself and see what happens. I suppose tomorrow Héctor and I will be up there fighting for the win and it could be a really nice race.”
11th Adrián Martín 2.00.697 (16 laps):
“You always want a little more but in general I am happy with the result of today’s session and so far the weekend is going well. We lost a bit of time this morning fiddling with the front fork settings but stayed calm and everything worked out this afternoon. I set my lap time on my own, which is important, and I was able to complete a few laps in 2’00. I am sure I can keep that kind of pace up tomorrow and have a good race. I want to thank the team for the job they are doing and their support during a period when things haven’t gone exactly to plan.”
Source: Aspar Media
