MotoGP Phillip Island: Bautista takes best-ever grid slot
MotoGP Phillip Island: Bautista takes best-ever grid slot
15/10/2011
Bautista was fractions away from a front-row start
Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista has taken his best-ever MotoGP starting position for tomorrow's Phillip Island race after finishing qualifying in fourth place - and the Spaniard was on for a front row until he was bumped by Marco Simoncelli's last lap.
Bautista had followed Andrea Dovizioso round and parked his GSV-R800 in third on a track where, historically, it has been awful. He makes no bones about the fact Dovizioso towed him round for his and said it all seemed much easier!
“I’m very happy with today, because I got my best qualifying result so far in MotoGP and at the toughest track for Suzuki, so that shows what good work we have done since last year. It was a fantastic lap behind Dovizioso and when I saw him in front of me on the track, I thought this is my opportunity – if I can’t do a good lap now, I’ll never do one," said Bautista.
"Third row was not difficult to achieve today, but when I followed him everything seemed easier. With this type of track in this wind and with these types of corners, it helps if you can follow another rider, you can certainly improve a lot and it feels much easier to ride. My feeling is good for tomorrow and I’ll try to make a strong start and stay with the front guys in the first one or two laps.
"If we can do that I think we will be competitive, because in the first few laps all riders will push hard and after six or seven laps the tyres will probably drop off and the rhythm will settle down. I will try to do a good race tomorrow and get the best possible result I can.”
Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista has taken his best-ever MotoGP starting position for tomorrow's Phillip Island race after finishing qualifying in fourth place - and the Spaniard was on for a front row until he was bumped by Marco Simoncelli's last lap.
Bautista had followed Andrea Dovizioso round and parked his GSV-R800 in third on a track where, historically, it has been awful. He makes no bones about the fact Dovizioso towed him round for his and said it all seemed much easier!
“I’m very happy with today, because I got my best qualifying result so far in MotoGP and at the toughest track for Suzuki, so that shows what good work we have done since last year. It was a fantastic lap behind Dovizioso and when I saw him in front of me on the track, I thought this is my opportunity – if I can’t do a good lap now, I’ll never do one," said Bautista.
"Third row was not difficult to achieve today, but when I followed him everything seemed easier. With this type of track in this wind and with these types of corners, it helps if you can follow another rider, you can certainly improve a lot and it feels much easier to ride. My feeling is good for tomorrow and I’ll try to make a strong start and stay with the front guys in the first one or two laps.
"If we can do that I think we will be competitive, because in the first few laps all riders will push hard and after six or seven laps the tyres will probably drop off and the rhythm will settle down. I will try to do a good race tomorrow and get the best possible result I can.”
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