Mahindra vows to improve qualifying form after Silverstone

Poor one-lap pace compromised Mahindra’s chances again at Silverstone, with none of the Indian manufacturer’s riders qualifying inside the top 20. Moreover, CIP’s Manuel Pagliani’s drive to 15th from 29th on the grid suggested that Mahindra has a strong bike in race trim.

Having seen a similar pattern in recent races, Choonia feels that improving qualifying performance should be the first priority for Mahindra in the remaining races of the year.

“I was pleased to see our bikes were able to not only stay in the leading group but also move forward. But once again, poor qualifying positions meant they had an unequal struggle to get to the front of this typical big Moto3 pack,” he said.

“Our best finisher, Pagliani, came through to 15th from 29th on the grid. It was a lot of work for one point. If he had started further forward, who knows what could have happened? We need to work on qualifying to make the most of our chances.”

Pagliani ran on the cusp of the top 20 for much of the race, but was able to make ground in the final few laps.

He was running 16th when the race was declared over due to an accident between Juanfran Guevara and Bo Bendsneyder, but was promoted to 15th and the final points-paying position after a penalty for a rival rider.

The Italian finished two positions ahead of factory-supported Aspar rider Lorenzo Dalla Porta, while his teammate Marco Bezzecchi was classified 19th.

The two Peugeot-branded bikes of Jakub Kornfeil and Patrik Pulkinnen finished a second adrift in 23rd and 24th positions respectively, while the second Aspar of Albert Arenas had to settle for 26th after a crash in morning warm-up.