Schrötter & Alcoba aim for strong race pace in Mugello slipstream thriller
Despite intensive set-up work and significant improvements, both LIQUI MOLY Intact GP riders, Marcel Schrötter and Jeremy Alcoba, failed to make it into the highly competitive Q2, so they'll start the eighth Grand Prix of the season side by side from positions 20 and 21 on Sunday.
When, as announced, it began to drizzle slightly shortly before Moto2 qualifying, the cards were reshuffled at the Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley at Mugello, although it was still possible to ride on slicks. For the two riders of the German racing team, it was particularly important to survive the merciless Q1, in which a perfectly used slipstream tow ultimately decided the Qualifying 2 entry.
But before that, the efforts of Marcel Schrötter and his crew paid off, because already in FP3 there was a clear improvement compared to Friday. With a time of 1'52.109, the Bavarian not only improved by an incredible 1.267s on his Friday time but also climbed into the Top 14, before he slipped back to P16 due to a small crash. This was sadly not enough for a direct Q2 entry, but a much faster pace gave the 29-year-old the chance to still make the jump out of Q1. Unfortunately, Schrötter was held up several times in Q1 by riders waiting for a tow, so he could not keep his place in the Top4 towards the end. Despite his disappointment, the experienced rider is not deterred by this, as he knows that even from grid position 20 things can go a long way in the race.
His rookie team-mate will be standing right next to him after Jeremy Alcoba was also less than a hundredth away from the Top 4 and thus from making it into Q2. The youngster also recorded a clear upswing and increase in pace on this weather-changing Saturday in Tuscany. But before Sunday's 21-lap race at 12:20 p.m. (CEST), the Spaniard wants to continue working on his race pace in the morning warm-up, because a long, hot race demands more from a rider and machine than a 15-minute qualifying session.
The LIQUI MOLY Intact GP duo will start the Gran Premio d'Italia with the same attacking strategy that allowed them to score so successfully the last times around.
Results
FP3
1. Aron CANET/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'51.761
2. Pedro ACOSTA/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'51.820 (+0.059)
3. Augusto FERNANDEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'51.828 (+0.067)
4. Sam LOWES/ GBR/ KALEX – 1'51.864 (+0.103)
5. Lorenzo DALLA PORTA/ ITA/ KALEX – 1'51.884 (+0.123)
16. Marcel SCHRÖTTER/ GER/ KALEX – 1'52.109 (+0.348)
24. Jeremy ALCOBA/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'52.491 (+0.730)
Q1
1. Mattio PASISNI/ ITA/ KALEX – 1'51.844
2. Tony ARBOLINO/ ITA/ KALEX – 1'51.861 (+0.017)
3. Fermin ALDEGUER/ SPA/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'51.916 (+0.072)
4. Marcos RAMIREZ/ SPA/ MV AUGUSTA – 1'51.980 (+0.136)
5. Alonso LOPEZ/ SPA/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'52.006 (+0.162)
6. Marcel SCHRÖTTER/ GER/ KALEX – 1'52.066 (+0.222)
7. Jeremy ALCOBA/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'52.139 (+0.295)
