Repsol rider hit by mechanical problems and places eleventh in qualifying. Oliveira finishes ninth, Rins seventeenth and Álex Márquez twenty-fifth.
Another comeback is needed tomorrow. Maverick Viñales will have to get a flying start and reel in title rival Sandro Cortese in order to keep up the fight in the final stage of 2012. The track at Misano was dry today, and Cortese was the fastest in a clean qualifying run. Viñales had contrasting fortunes, as he experienced a mechanical problema with his engine and needed to spend half of the session in the pits —after only putting in three laps.
Once the issue was repaired, the Spaniard returned to the track and attempted to improve his grid position, but was only able to do a few laps, make adjustments and go back out again before the session was almost over. He had three minutes remaining and the Repsol rider put in one more lap to drop his time. He will start from eleventh tomorrow, taking off from the fourth row.
The rest of the Repsol Moto3 representatives had varied experiences. Miguel Oliveira was ninth, experiencing small issues on the third sector. Álex Rins was one of the fastest riders for most of the session, but in the end he could only manage seventeenth and was unable to use the final minutes to put in a hot lap. Álex Márquez was riding for the first time in the dry at Misano and will start from twenty-fifth.
Maverick Viñales >> Audio
FP3 – 1:55.886, 18 laps, 76 km.
QP – 1:45.230, 13 laps, 55 km.
“As you saw, the day didn’t go well. We are very far back on the grid and tomorrow will be a very difficult race. We will have to get a tremendous start, on the limit, in order to get as high up the order as possible on the opening lap. We don’t know what happened to us; I have to admit that I am not happy at all. My feeling wasn’t good, because we weren’t able to put in many laps in the only dry session. I hope to be able to gain an understanding from the little time that we spent on track. At least I am happy to have ridden well in the wet, because I haven’t felt that comfortable on a wet track since France.”
Miguel Oliveira >> Audio
FP3 – 1:55.000, 17 laps, 72 km.
QP – 1:45.116, 17 laps, 72 km.
“We had a good session in the dry, although in the end we would have preferred to have placed a little higher up on the grid. We were fairly quick from the start and, despite the room for improvement that we still have on the third sector, I am satisfied. In the warmup we will try to improve these little aspects that we need to polish up. Then we will need to get a good start and keep up a good pace over the course of the race. It is a physically demanding track, so we need to be strong and consistent. We are working in the right way.”
Álex Rins >> Audio
FP3 – 1:55.248, 18 laps, 76 km.
QP – 1:45.333, 16 laps, 68 km.
“In the morning we were right up there from the start of the session and very comfortable on the bike, despite the track still being wet. In the three wet sessions we have always been amongst the ten fastest riders, although in qualifying we couldn’t continue with the progression. We were focused and started out going at the same pace as the frontrunners, but in the end I came up to some slower riders and I was unable to lower my time. Tomorrow we need a good start and, above all, to keep up our pace for the duration. I am confidence, because it is a track at which I feel comfortable. I rode here a few months ago in the Italian Championship and I hope to get a good result.”
Álex Márquez >> Audio
FP3 – 1:56.599, 16 laps, 68 km.
QP – 1:46.801, 17 laps, 72 km.
“In the morning, on a wet track, we felt comfortable. That was a change from yesterday. In the afternoon we had a first dry session, which to tell the truth was a little difficult for us. It is tough getting to the front on your first time in these conditions. I hope to have a good race tomorrow. Let’s see if I can up my pace by a few tenths —above all under braking, which is what is proving the most difficult for us.”
