14.07.2018

Red Bull KTM less than a second from pole position time at German Grand Prix

QUALIFYING 9th Rd. MotoGP 2018, Sachsenring (GER)
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Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith were 15th and 16th fastest respectively after qualification for the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix of Deutschland at a hot and sunny Sachsenring today and will form-up on the fifth and sixth rows of the grid after registering lap-times close to Marc Marquez’s pole position effort.
MotoGP
The acute demands of the spiralling German layout presented a different challenge for the Red Bull KTM crew compared to the fast flow of Assen two weeks previously. The team suffered an early blow when Mika Kallio crashed out of FP2 on Friday and injured his right knee.
 
It was left to Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith to push the KTM RC16 to the limit around a course with ten lefthanders and only three right corners and with multiple elevation changes. The pair worked on optimum set-up for what was only KTM’s second ever attempt around the unique trajectory and neared the top ten through the latter Free Practice sessions. QP1 took place in warm summer temperatures and #44’s best lap-time – with a medium tyre choice – meant that he was marginally less than one second away from the pole effort. Smith was just four hundredths of a second slower. Both riders are optimistic for Sunday and their pace for the 30 lap distance.

Espargaro: “A little bit like in Holland: we did a good FP4, a bad qualifying and a good race. It feels like Assen. We have very good rhythm and I can do quick laps with the medium tyre and this means we are good for the race. It also that we have a bit of a problem: we cannot get the best performance from the soft tyre and the extra grip to give us a better lap-time in qualifying. We’ll see tomorrow but it looks like we will go from the back to the top.”
 
Smith: “Generally not too bad. I think we have better race pace than we do over one lap and that bodes well for tomorrow. Tyre life seems to be quite good for us so the goal is to get a decent start and push to try and be inside the top twelve. Qualifying was a bit frustrating as I was held up a couple of times but the weekend has been positive and consistent. We also managed to improve the bike a little bit in terms of rear grip. It doesn't feel like we are in sixteenth place. It feels like the potential should be higher. We’re optimistic for tomorrow. It will be crucial to make some passes and not get stuck behind people.”
 
Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): “We’ve been working hard and consistently to make steps with the bike this weekend. With Pol we also tried a few more radical things. Some worked out, some didn't so it was important to also keep the focus on normal setting work and understanding the tyres etc. It was a compromise but when we got to qualifying we brought it all together and again it was very tight. It was not the top ten position that we were looking for but when you see the gaps and the lap-times we have to be happy today. We have done our fastest lap with the race tyre and it seems to be constant. We cannot get better in terms of relation between qualifying and race pace. Let’s see what the others can do…but we are confident that we can have a good race here tomorrow.”

Moto2 & Moto3
In Moto2 Swiss innovative Investors Sam Lowes took his KTM Moto2 to the 4th fastest lap-time while Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder capped a day where he extended his contract with the team for 2019 with 10th place.

Binder: "I am very happy with our final position, and besides that my pace is really good. I am a little disappointed that I did not find the tenths that we needed, because my goal was to start from one of the front two rows of the grid and, unfortunately, we will start from the fourth row. My plan for tomorrow is to make a good start, try to overtake as many riders as possible and focus on my pace until the end."

Jorge Martin will start from Moto3 pole position for the sixth time this season but Bester Capital Dubai’s Marcos Ramirez will line-up second on the grid and was just six hundredths of second slower than his countryman in the QP session on the 
KTM RC250 GP.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Deniz Öncü put in a perfect performance to win Race 1 of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup weekend at the Sachsenring. The 14-year-old Turk bested his twin brother Can Öncü by 4.455 seconds after 19 laps. Cup leader Can had to battle all race just to make the podium and was chased over the line by Ryusei Yamanaka, Filip Salač, Adrián Carrasco and Steward Garcia, all covered by half a second after a thriller.

The Turks had qualified first and second but Can did not make the best start from pole and it was 15-year-old Spaniard Carrasco who took the early lead. He soon came under pressure from Deniz Öncü though. “Yes I didn't make a very good start,” explained Deniz. “I was back in fourth or fifth I think but I soon found myself and went after the lead. I pushed hard to get in front and just kept pushing. Normally I would expect Can to come to me but I guess he made a mistake or something because my board showed me that I was getting away. It was also showing me the laps and I was watching, 16, 15, 14, it was such a long race, I thought it would never end,” he laughed. “It did finish and now Can must give me 10 euro so that's really good. It is also good to have the points and my first win for a while,” concluded the happy character who won the same race last year in the pouring rain and grabbed a second 2017 victory in Race 2 in Brno.
 
Races: July 15, 2018 – Moto3 11:00 | Moto2 12:20 | MotoGP 14:00 | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 15:30 CET

Results Qualifying MotoGP Sachsenring 2018 

1. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda, 1:20.270 min
2. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), Ducati, +0.025 sec
3. Jorge Lorenzo (ITA), Ducati, +0.057
4. Maverick Vinales (ESP), Yamaha, +0.171
5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati, +0.174
KTM
16. Pol Espargaro (ESP), KTM, +0.972
17. Bradley Smith (GBR), KTM, +1.017

Results Qualifying Moto2 Sachsenring 2018 
1. Mattia Pasini (ITA), Kalex, 1:23.787 min
2. Luca Marini (ITA), Kalex, +0.181 sec
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, +0.183
4. Sam Lowes (GBR), KTM, +0.184
5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA), Kalex, +0.234
KTM
10. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +0.391
15. Miguel Oliveira (POR), KTM, +0.573

Results Qualifying Moto3 Sachsenring 2018 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP), Honda, 1:26.434 min
2. Marcos Ramirez (ESP), KTM, +0.060 sec
3. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +0.065
4. Jaume Masia (ESP), KTM, +0.262
5. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, +0.306
KTM
7. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA), KTM, +0.349
8. John McPhee (GBR), KTM, +0.358
14. Raul Fernandez (ESP), KTM, +0.583

Results Race 1 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Sachsenring 2018
All riders on KTM RC250 RB bikes
1. Deniz Öncü (TUR), 28:20.035 min (19 laps)
2. Can Öncü (TUR), +4.455 sec 
3. Ryusei Yamanaka (JAP), +4.715
4. Filip Salač (CZE), +4.734
5. Adrian Carrasco (ESP), +4.799
 
Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2018 after 6 of 12 races
1. C. Öncü, 135
2. D. Öncü, 88
3. Salač, 79
4. Carlos Tatay (ESP), 73
5. Xavier Artigas (ESP), 68

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PHILIPP GRÜNBERGER
PR MANAGER MOTOGP
philipp.gruenberger@ktm.com
0043 664 6217921

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Images (19)

Pol Espargaro & Bradley Smith KTM RC16 Sachsenring 2018
4 737 x 3 162 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 Sachsenring 2018
3 712 x 2 470 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Bradley Smith KTM RC16 Sachsenring 2018
3 964 x 2 629 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 Sachsenring 2018
4 148 x 2 762 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Bradley Smith KTM RC16 Sachsenring 2018
4 185 x 2 786 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Pol Espargaro & Staff Box Sachsenring 2018
5 472 x 3 648 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Bradley Smith Box Sachsenring 2018
5 472 x 3 648 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Sam Lowes KTM Moto2 Sachsenring 2018
4 928 x 3 280 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Sam Lowes KTM Moto2 Sachsenring 2018
4 474 x 2 978 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Brad Binder KTM Moto2 Sachsenring 2018
4 928 x 3 280 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Miguel Oliveira KTM Moto2 Sachsenring 2018
3 924 x 2 612 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Brad Binder KTM Moto2 Sachsenring 2018
4 204 x 2 798 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Miguel Oliveira KTM Moto2 Sachsenring 2018
3 728 x 2 469 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Marcos Ramirez KTM RC250 GP Sachsenring 2018
4 181 x 2 773 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Marcos Ramirez & Staff KTM RC250 GP Parc Ferme Sachsenring 2018
3 612 x 2 404 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Raul Fernandez KTM RC250 GP Sachsenring 2018
4 381 x 2 934 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Raul Fernandez Box Sachsenring 2018
5 472 x 3 648 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Deniz Öncü KTM RC250 RB Parc Ferme Sachsenring 2018
4 143 x 2 757 © Gold and Goose / Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Deniz Öncü KTM RC250 RB Sachsenring 2018
3 252 x 2 212 © Gold and Goose / Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup


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