The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider topped the timesheets in both sessions on Friday, finishing two tenths ahead of his rivals
Máximo Quiles has made an excellent start to his first day of practice at the Qatar Grand Prix. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider has quickly adapted to a circuit that was unfamiliar to him and was the fastest rider of the day in both sessions held on Friday. The Moto3 World Champion finished two tenths of a second ahead of the second- and third-placed riders, David Almansa and David Muñoz. Alongside Quiles, Marco Morelli will also be in Q2 tomorrow thanks to his eleventh-place finish.
The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team riders have adapted very quickly to a circuit that was completely unfamiliar to both of them. Máximo Quiles was the fastest in this morning’s free practice and, despite suffering a heavy crash that left him unharmed, his time proved unbeatable for the rest of the riders, who were almost eight tenths behind the champion. In the afternoon, the battle for Q2 places once again saw Máximo Quiles take centre stage as the rider to beat. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider is in top form and it was reflected once again in his lap times. After setting a time one second faster than in the first session, his 2:03.172 was the benchmark for the day. His team-mate Marco Morelli also got off to a flying start on Friday. The Argentine felt much more comfortable than in recent Grand Prix events and set the third-fastest time of the morning. In the afternoon session, he experienced night-time riding conditions for the first time, but this posed no difficulty for him and he also improved his times by almost a second. The main goal of the day was to secure a Q2 spot, something he had to fight for right up to the final lap, when he climbed to eleventh place with a time of 2:04.085. Morelli has thus qualified directly for Q2, something that hasn’t happened since the Japanese Grand Prix.
1st Máximo Quiles 2:03.172: “I love this circuit; it suits my riding style really well and I’ve really enjoyed riding at night – there should be more races in these conditions. I’m still the same person after winning the title; I remain focused every weekend and, above all, I’m still learning – I even learnt something from this morning’s crash. I was pushing really hard on the worn tyre and perhaps I got a bit too confident. In the afternoon, I was held up quite a bit on the lap when I was trying to set my fastest time. You’re supposed to move out of the way when you come out of the pit lane if there are riders on the track going fast, but that didn’t happen. I tried to get my pace back, but that time lap wasn’t the fastest after all. On this circuit, the first lap is important because the tyre wears out a lot. Now we’ll take it easier and go step by step so as not to make a mistake like today’s again.”
11th Marco Morelli 2:04.085 (+0.913): “Today I feel we’ve taken a step forward compared to previous Fridays and I’m pleased to have made it through to Q2. I’ve settled in well on a circuit that’s new to me; I like the layout and I’ve really enjoyed it – riding at night is a brilliant feeling. This afternoon I kept improving and, although the feel wasn’t perfect, we know what we need to work on for tomorrow. The most important thing is that I’ve enjoyed being on the bike. I’m looking forward to Saturday so we can carry on working.”
