The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider set the third-fastest time and will be in Q2 tomorrow at Brno
Máximo Quiles has once again been one of the fastest riders at the start of the Czech Grand Prix. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider finished third on Friday after improving his times from the morning session by more than half a second. The Spaniard was two tenths of a second off the fastest time, set by Malaysian rider Hakim Danish, who also set a new circuit record. Marco Morelli was unable to complete the session due to a crash that forced him to visit the medical centre to rule out any injury, and he will have to compete in Q1 tomorrow.
The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team began the ninth round of the season at the Brno circuit on Friday. Máximo Quiles and Marco Morelli took part in this morning’s free practice session feeling confident and were able to establish a solid foundation on which to continue working throughout the rest of this weekend’s sessions. Both finished in the top 10, more than half a second off the pace, but with plenty of room for improvement to fight for a place in Q2. In the afternoon, Quiles took to the track determined to take another step forward and continue striving for his best form despite the rising temperatures. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider completed a total of fourteen laps of the Czech circuit and, having improved his times by more than seven tenths, finished in third place, thereby securing his place in Q2 this Saturday. His team-mate Marco Morelli was only able to complete three laps in the afternoon session. The Argentine suffered a heavy crash at turn six, which prevented him from resuming practice, and he will now have to compete in Q1 tomorrow. After being examined at the medical centre, any injury has been ruled out and Morelli will continue to compete in the rest of the Grand Prix.
3rd Máximo Quiles 2:05.013 (+0.259): “The pace today was very good, although I had a few minor scares because of all the riders on the track. I set off late to try and avoid them, but I still ended up running into them again. It was very hot today and all of us riders noticed it, but I felt very comfortable on my first out-lap. The soft tyre is supposed to work better in warmer conditions, but I’ve worked with both types of tyre and been quick on both. I like to test the limits to see how far I can go, but this circuit is wide and it’s tricky to get right up to the kerbs. We’ve still got a lot of work to do; I think I can improve my riding style and pace a lot, so we’ll keep going like this.”
23rd Marco Morelli 2:06.335 (+1.581): “I had a heavy crash in this afternoon’s session and went to the medical center to rule out any injuries. Luckily, everything is fine and I can continue the rest of the weekend as normal. I’m in a bit of pain, but I’m glad it’s nothing serious, although I’ll have to go through Q1 tomorrow. I haven’t quite figured out why I crashed. It was warmer and the grip on the track was a bit less; I didn’t feel entirely comfortable in the two laps I did. I tried to keep pushing, and from pushing so hard, the rear end of the bike lost traction and I crashed. I felt very comfortable this morning, so this afternoon we’ll analyze the data with the team to see how we can improve tomorrow. I might be a bit sore tomorrow, but I’m eager to continue.”
