Tito Rabat fourth on Le Mans Moto2 grid, with Pol Espargaro in 7th
The arrival of the rain during the qualifying session halted all attempts to improve times and fight for better grid positions.
Tito Rabat will start his first race as championship leader from 4th position on the grid, the second row, right in front of his team mate Pol Espargaró (7th). Axel Pons, who had improved in the morning session, will start from row 8.
The threat of rain meant that all riders went out on track at the same time, stampede-like, to try and get some fast laps in and secure good grid positions. About half way through the session the first raindrops started to fall and everyone started returning to the boxes. No one was able to improve their time. With view to the wet weather forecasted for tomorrow’s race, a few riders, among them the three Tuenti HP 40 riders, continued putting laps in to achieve a better wet set up.
4. Tito Rabat – 1.39.193
In the morning we were going really fast and we found a good set up. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep working on this in the afternoon due to the lack of time. But I’m calm because I’ll be starting from a good position, my pace is good and also the feeling during the few laps in the wet was good. They forecasted rain for tomorrow, and if it does rain, I only hope it’s consistent to allow us to improve the wet set up further during warm up. We have to adapt to the weather conditions, they’re equal for everyone, and we must not make mistakes.
7. Pol Espargaró – 1.39.355
I still have big problems with a lack of rear grip and I’m lacking confidence entering the corners. Last year I rode a time of 1.38.1 and I kept putting down 1.38 laps like they were going out of fashion. With the current tyre compound I’m risking my neck by trying to drop below the 1.39. We need to continue to search for improvements, there’s no other way. But it’s disappointing to give everything in every corner, in every lap and to see at the end that you just can’t improve your time and you don’t have a good feeling. I hope we’ll be able to improve tomorrow, to be as far at the front as possible, be it dry or wet, and continue to search for solutions in preparations for Mugello.
24. Axel Pons – 1.40.487
Once again we find ourselves at the back of the field with the mission to try and regain positions. I was hoping to be closer to the front especially after solving many problems and finishing12th in the morning. But in the moment of truth I struggled to find the pace, and when the rain started it destroyed all hope of improvement. The race will be long, more so if it does rain, and I only hope to not have bad luck at the start, to find my rhythm and to catch up little by little.
Source: Pons Racing
