Xavi Vierge and Isaac Viñales prepared for Spanish GP battle

Tech3 Racing Team rider Xavi Vierge will commence the opening European Moto2 round of the 2016 season from the head of the eighth row after a determined push in the highly competitive qualifying session today in Andalucía.

The young Spaniard began the day by continuing to adjust the setup of his Mistral 610 in preparation for the 26 lap sprint. When the shootout started, he bolted into action and set a rapid time on his third lap.

After carrying on his efforts throughout the practice, he was unable to improve on his earlier time and tomorrow the 18 year old will aim to climb through the field and seize a point scoring finish.

On the other side of the Tech3 Racing Team pit box, Isaac Viñales will begin his fourth Moto2 race from the ninth row of the grid and intends to meet the chequered flag in a solid position in front of his home crowd in southern Spain.

Viñales continued his progress today as he carried on working on the setup of his Moto2 bike with the Tech3 team. When qualifying kicked off, he instantly got to work and consistently bettered his lap times, before posting a personal best on his penultimate run. Tomorrow, he will aim to quickly set into his race pace and then steal a strong result.

Xavi Vierge
“We took some further steps forward again today but it was not quite enough at this circuit. The Tech3 guys and I did our best but the other riders all upped their pace and the gap was so tight in the end. Tomorrow I will be aiming to go for a point scoring finish as always and I am confident because I have a good rhythm. Now I will speak with the team and try to find another step so that we can get to where we want to be in the Grand Prix. I am excited for the race so lets see what we can do in the first European round and thanks to the Tech3 Racing Team for their work.”

Isaac Viñales
“In the end, I am happy with the lap time that I posted even if the position is lower than where we would like to be. The team and I have made a lot of advances so far this weekend and it’s very competitive in this class, as illustrated by the gap to the leader in the qualifying today. We will keep pushing onwards and I am determined to kick off the European run with a strong result. The work we have undertaken is positive and so tomorrow I will do my best.”

Source: Tech3