It will be a grueling Qatar GP for Tony Arbolino and Izan Guevara, who have been grappling with severe chattering issues since the very first session on Friday. Despite the hard work done by their crews inside the box before and during today’s FP2 and Qualifying sessions, they were unable to make significant setup improvements. The chattering issue—caused by the high grip levels of Lusail’s asphalt—was already evident during winter testing in Jerez, especially for Arbolino. In Qatar, Guevara is also experiencing the same problem, with neither rider able to find a satisfying base setup to be competitive on track.
Both relegated to Q1 in Friday’s Practice1, during the 15-minute qualifying session neither Tony nor Izan managed to set a lap fast enough to secure one of the top four spots needed to advance to Q2. Consequently, they’ll start tomorrow's race from the back of the grid. Arbolino clocked his best lap in 1'57”601 on his first flying lap, unable to improve with his second set of fresh tires. That time earned him 8th in the Q1 standings and a 22nd position on the grid, placing him on the eighth row. Guevara faced even greater difficulties: his best lap time of 1'58”130, also set on the first new tire, was only good enough for 12th in Q1, placing him 26th on the grid. This is the same starting position he had two weeks ago in Austin — where, thanks to a brilliant ride and remarkable comeback, he finished 5th by the end of the race.
Moto2 Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar Schedule Sunday: Race – 18:15 (17:15 CET), 18 laps (96.84 km / 60.17 miles)
It will be a grueling Qatar GP for Tony Arbolino and Izan Guevara, who have been grappling with severe chattering issues since the very first session on Friday. Despite the hard work done by their crews inside the box before and during today’s FP2 and Qualifying sessions, they were unable to make significant setup improvements. The chattering issue—caused by the high grip levels of Lusail’s asphalt—was already evident during winter testing in Jerez, especially for Arbolino. In Qatar, Guevara is also experiencing the same problem, with neither rider able to find a satisfying base setup to be competitive on track.
Both relegated to Q1 in Friday’s Practice1, during the 15-minute qualifying session neither Tony nor Izan managed to set a lap fast enough to secure one of the top four spots needed to advance to Q2. Consequently, they’ll start tomorrow's race from the back of the grid. Arbolino clocked his best lap in 1'57”601 on his first flying lap, unable to improve with his second set of fresh tires. That time earned him 8th in the Q1 standings and a 22nd position on the grid, placing him on the eighth row. Guevara faced even greater difficulties: his best lap time of 1'58”130, also set on the first new tire, was only good enough for 12th in Q1, placing him 26th on the grid. This is the same starting position he had two weeks ago in Austin — where, thanks to a brilliant ride and remarkable comeback, he finished 5th by the end of the race.
Moto2 Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar Schedule
Sunday: Race – 18:15 (17:15 CET), 18 laps (96.84 km / 60.17 miles)