Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider places second in qualifying for the Thailand Grand Prix, just 26 thousandths of a second off pole position with teammate Joan Mir qualifying in eleventh position.

There was no respite from the hot and humid conditions as Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Alex Marquez and Joan Mir went into qualifying for the first Moto2 Grand Prix to be held in Thailand.

Alex Marquez was always a contender to challenge for pole position  with the second fastest time in FP3 and he did not disappoint in qualifying. On his final lap Marquez set his fastest time of 1’36.400 to claim his sixth front start of the season so far and miss pole by just 26 thousandths of a second.

Joan Mir followed his 16th position in FP3 with a much improved performance in qualifying with a crucial set-up change at the end of the session. Mir feels he still has more potential for the race which he starts from 11th on the grid with time fo 1’36.744.

The warm-up session for Moto2 will be at 9:10am with the 24 lap race, round 15 of the Moto2 World Championship, scheduled for12:20pm.
 

Alex Marquez: 2nd, 1’36.400, +0.026, 47 laps, 211 km

“I am enjoying this new track very much”
 

“I am really happy because I am enjoying this new track very much and have good feeling. My final fast lap in qualifying was at the end of a long, ten lap run and I knew I had go for a faster time so I went all in on the last lap. But I lost time in the final sector so that gives us some homework to do in the warm-up and hopefully be ready to go for P1 in the race.”

Joan Mir: 11th, 1’36.744, +0.370, 39 laps, 175 km

“I think I’m prepared to fight for a good result”
 

“I am not in the position that I expected but I am not too disappointed because we made a step forward with bike in the last exit and I think I have a couple tenths margin still to go. Now I think I’m prepared to fight for a good result in the race.”