Van den Goorbergh qualifies in 15th place at sunny Automotodrom Brno, Sasaki 23rd
Zonta van den Goorbergh qualified 15th on Saturday afternoon for the Moto2 race at the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic. The Dutch rider secured a direct spot in Q2 on Friday afternoon and claimed a position on the fifth row of the grid on Saturday. His RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP teammate Ayumu Sasaki did not advance from Q1 and will start 23rd on the grid.
The first Czech Grand Prix since 2020 began on Friday morning under rainy conditions at the Automotodrom Brno. In the afternoon, the weather improved for the official practice session, but dark clouds loomed over the circuit and the track was only dry for a short period. Van den Goorbergh started strong and posted the 11th fastest time, securing direct access to Q2. Sasaki finished the session in 21st and therefore had to go through Q1.
In that Q1 session, Sasaki eventually set the ninth fastest lap time, which means he will have to start Sunday afternoon’s Moto2 race from 23rd place. Van den Goorbergh recorded the 15th fastest lap in Q2 and will therefore begin his first Czech Grand Prix from the fifth row of the grid.
Zonta van den Goorbergh (P15 – 1’59.348 / +1,026):
“It wasn’t a bad day. Due to yesterday’s rainy conditions, we had some extra work and had to try a few things in a short amount of time. In the end we did our best, and I think there wasn’t much more in it. I ran into a few small issues, but nothing that can’t be fixed. That’s just part of the game, especially after a day like yesterday. The goal for tomorrow is to make everything come together better and to perform in the race.”Ayumu Sasaki (P23 – 1’59.242 / +0,980):
“It was a disappointing qualifying session for us. I wasn’t able to go from Q1 to Q2, even though our lap time was quite good. The pace was very fast and I missed just two tenths to secure a place in Q2. It is disappointing but our feeling on the bike was definitely better than this morning, which is positive. Now we will focus on tomorrow and try to improve again.”Jarno Janssen – RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP team manager:
“After yesterday’s unpredictable weather, it was great to have a full day of sunshine and warm conditions. Both riders were able to put in a lot of laps and (re)familiarise themselves with this rather tricky circuit. Unfortunately Ayumu didn’t make it into Q2, and with 23rd on the grid he faces a challenging start position for the race. However, he showed last week what he’s capable of, so hopefully we can still score some points. That’s also the goal for Zonta, who starts from 15th. We tend to struggle in wet conditions but on a dry track we’re doing well, so hopefully he can connect with the group ahead of him. It’s great to be back in Brno, and hopefully we can head into the summer break with a positive feeling.”
The 18-lap Moto2 race at the Automotodrom Brno will begin at 12:15h on Sunday afternoon