Álex Márquez braced for podium attack in Jerez

A brilliant Moto2 qualifying display from Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Álex Márquez and Franco Morbidelli has boosted confidence that both can race for the podium in tomorrow’s Jerez round in Spain.

Márquez kicked off his 20th birthday celebrations in fine style this afternoon after the Spaniard secured his first top 10 grid position of the season in front of a sizeable home crowd.

His ninth position though doesn’t tell the whole story, with Márquez just 0.256s off pole position in a 45-minute qualifying session that was tense and closely contested throughout.

Less than one second split the top 20 riders today to set up what promises to be a mouth-watering round four that will unfold in front of a crowd of well over 100,000 fans crammed into the 4.4km Andalusian venue.

Álex Márquez: 9th – 1’42.664
“Today was a very good day for me. It is my birthday and to spend it riding in front of an amazing home crowd is something special. And to claim my best qualifying result of the season makes me even happier. My pace for one lap in qualifying was good and my rhythm for the race is also strong, so I think we have a good chance of getting a positive result. The start will be crucial to get away with the lead group and if we make the perfect job then maybe it is possible to fight for the podium.”

Source – Team Estrella Galicia