Positive qualifying for Espargaro & Smith at Argentina Grand Prix; Oliveira on pole in Moto2!

QUALIFYING 2nd Rd. MotoGP 2017 – Termas de Río Hondo (ARG)

MotoGP
The team is all on a sharp learning curve with the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike as they prepare to race only their second round in the premiere class of the world championship. However Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith qualified at 18th and 19th to already show an improvement on their first race in Qatar two weeks ago at the season’s opener.

Espargaro: “I think we could have even done more today and been more in front, but overall we’re better than we were in Qatar. Obviously we’re improving, but we need to continue this way. It looks like the race tomorrow will be in dry conditions, not in the wet like in qualifying today so everything is going to change. We’ll start a bit more in front that we did in Qatar so it’s a bit better, but in the dry it will also be a matter of the best choice of tire. We need to have a good start and at least to be fighting with them in the first laps, and then do a good race.”

Smith: “It was a little bit tough because we went in the wrong direction with the setting. Then the rain created some problems for us at the end of FP3. During FP4 we went out in the wet for the very first time and I struggled to get the confidence I needed. So we made a big change before FP4 and I started to feel much better. Then I got faster and faster the more laps I did, so I’m pleased. We’ve got 4-5 guys behind us, which is great considering it was our first few laps in the wet. We were very close to the likes of (Jack) Miller and Jorge (Lorenzo). We know the Ducati is strong in the wet, and we also know that Miller has done a fantastic race in the rain last year. I’m pleased with the outcome. We’ll wait to see what weather we have tomorrow. It will be important to have a good start and try to learn something from the guys around us.” 

Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): “Basically our plan for today was pretty much dictated by the weather conditions. So in FP4 we had wet conditions for the first time at a race weekend, and we worked with the best we had for a wet setting. In Bradley’s case, it was the first time he had ridden our bike in the wet anywhere. It could have been quite an unlucky situation to just do FP4 in the wet and then go straight into qualifying but honestly it worked out pretty well for both riders and we didn’t have to make too many adjustments. Depending on the weather conditions tomorrow we can either do some more fine-tuning based on that, or we can keep going with the dry settings that we developed in the other practice.” 

Moto2
The Red Bull KTM Ajo team caused something of a sensation in the Moto2 class when Miguel Oliveira put in a tremendous qualifying session in difficult and changeable weather conditions to finish on pole. KTM is competing in the class for the first time this season and to take pole position in the second round of the competition with the KTM Moto2 bike make it a memorable occasion. Oliveira’s teammate Brad Binder completed his first laps in the wet with a Moto2 bike and will start from the eighth row at 24th place in tomorrow’s race.

Oliveira: “The conditions in today's qualifying session were a bit difficult. I used two sets of wet tyres before understanding that in the end I had to go out with slicks. I feel bad that I didn't go out a little bit earlier, because on the first few laps I had a hard time picking up the pace. Later I recovered quite well and I did a lot of fast laps. I am happy with the final result today, which is my first pole position, and I want to congratulate the whole team. Of course, even if it is a very good position, we have to keep our feet on the ground because what counts is tomorrow's result."

Moto3 
Top rider on the KTM RC250 GP in the Moto3 qualifying class was Nicola Bulega with three other KTM riders among the top ten. Juanfran Guevara (ESP) was 7th fastest and Andrea Migno (ITA) was 8th. Philipp Oettl of Germany rounded off the top ten.

Bulega: "Considering I'm not perfect at the start, the front row is very important to me. After Qatar, my goal was to reduce the gap with the strongest guys. It was just a few minutes to the checkered flag, I was in P10 and the weather was uncertainly. I back on the track, I closed my eyes and I pushed as I wanted."

Mixed weather conditions made it a difficult task for the riders, especially as fine rain began to fall in the final minutes of the qualifying session. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA) finished 14th fastest, and Bo Bendsneyder (NED) was 17th. They start in the fifth and sixth row for Sunday’s race. 

Antonelli: "Although if we look at the final result we are slightly far back, the day has gone well; I think we have a good pace ahead of tomorrow's race. If we can make a good start, I think we can be up there in the first group and fighting for good positions. Starting on rows far back on the grid is never easy, but we will do our best to achieve our goal."

Races: Sunday, April 9, 2017 – Moto3 18:00 CET | Moto2 19:20 CET | MotoGP 21:00 CET

Results Qualifying MotoGP Termas de Río Hondo 2017 
1. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda, 1:47.512 min
2. Karel Abraham (CZE), Ducati, +0.763 sec
3. Cal Crutchlow (GBR), Honda, +0.766
4. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), Ducati, +1.396
5. Dani Pedrosa (ESP), Honda, +1.496
Other KTM
18. Pol Espargaro (ESP), KTM, +3.161
19. Bradley Smith (GBR), KTM, +3.164

Results Qualifying Moto2 Termas de Río Hondo 2017
1. Miguel Oliveira (POR), KTM, 1:45.616 min
2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA), Kalex, +0.099 sec
3. Alex Marquez (ESP), Kalex, +0.248
4. Thomas Luthi (SUI), Kalex, +0.374
5. Jesko Raffin (SUI), Kalex, +0.437
Other KTM
24. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +2.239

Results Qualifying Moto3 Termas de Río Hondo 2017
1. John Mcphee (GBR), Honda, 1:49.094 min
2. Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM, +0.154 sec
3. Jorge Martin (ESP), Honda, +0.229
4. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, +0.369
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA), Honda, +0.392
Other KTM
7. Juanfran Guevara (ESP), KTM, +0.688
8. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, +0.736
10. Philipp Oettl (GER), KTM, +0.766
14. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA), KTM, +0.880
17. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), KTM, +0:948

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"READY TO RACE – KTM Goes MotoGP", March 26 on ServusTV & Red Bull TV