Joan Mir and Alex Rins qualify 18th and 19th in Le Mans

The classic Le Mans circuit brought its typical unsettled conditions for Day 2, making for a difficult day of track sessions for the entire field. Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders were keen to build a good rhythm ahead of race day but found themselves down the order as Saturday drew to a close.

Rookie Joan Mir had his first taste of wet conditions on board his GSX-RR, getting to grips and gaining experience. He suffered a small crash without consequences during FP3. Meanwhile, Alex Rins placed himself in 4th at the flag. The FP4 session required the riders to be tentative as chilly track temperatures dominated the half-hour stint, Rins completed this session in 5th, while Mir was 17th.

A tumultuous Q1 session put pressure on all the riders participating, with tough decisions being made between wet and dry tyres. Rins and Mir began the session on wets, before switching to slicks. A cautious approach was necessary on track to avoid mistakes. Alex aimed to at least put himself up a few spots, but in the end he was 9th in the Q1 session, 19th on the grid. Joan was one spot ahead, 8th in the session and 18th on the grid.

Joan Mir
“It’s been a tricky day. I felt really good and comfortable in FP3, despite it being my first time in the wet. In Q1 I was on slicks at the wrong time, and by the time I changed the tyres the conditions changed too. It was really hard to put together a strategy, but nevertheless I feel that my pace is quite good. I would prefer tomorrow to be dry; I think I could make a great comeback.”

Alex Rins
“We had a bit of a problem during qualifying, and it was difficult to have a strategy. I started on wets, then I changed to slicks, but it started to rain more, and it was too risky to push. The session is short, and the time ran out. I’m starting near the back, but I’ll try to overtake as many riders as possible. I feel calm and good with either conditions; and let’s see what happens tomorrow.”