MotoGP
Tech 3 French GP qualifying report
Yamaha Racing
Edited: May 22, 2012, 12:47 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Tech 3 Yamaha target podium challenge in home race
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team will go into its home race at the historic Le Mans circuit in France confident that Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow can battle for the podium after both produced brilliant qualifying performances today.
Pole position for Gary Paffett, Team HWA AMG Mercedes, AMG Mercedes C-Coupe
Photo by: xpb.cc
For the third time in four races this season, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team has one rider starting from the front row after Dovizioso stormed to third place on the grid.
Dovizioso, who is going in search of a third successive MotoGP rostrum at the legen dary Bugatti track in tomorrow's 28-lap race, challenged for a front row place throughout a session that started on a wet track after earlier rain.
Conditions quickly improved and for the second half of the session, Dovizioso and Crutchlow were able to lap on slick tyres with the circuit completely dry and at one stage they occupied the top two places on the timesheets.
Only eight minutes remained when Dovizioso thrilled the large number of Tech 3 Yamaha fans in the crowd by powering his YZR-M1 machine to a lap of 1.34.099. That moved him to the top of the timesheets by almost 0.9s.
He was able to improve his pace to a 1.33.976, which secured him a richly deserved first front row start as a Yamaha rider and he was only 0.035s behind reigning World Champion Casey Stoner in second.
British rider Crutchlow also led the leaderboard in the early stages and he came close to claiming a third front row start of the season after another outstanding qualifying display.
He was in eighth place when a lap of 1.34.178 elevated him to the front row. Despite the 26-year-old's best efforts to improve his pace he will start from the middle of the second row in fifth place, his best time just over 0.2s from Dovizioso.
Andrea Dovizioso
Position 3rd - Time 1.33.976 - Laps 23 “I am really happy to be on the front row for the first time with Tech 3 and Yamaha. We have done a great job all weekend. I have been fast in every session and even in the tricky conditions at the start of qualifying I was very competitive and strong and the times were coming really easily. I am particularly happy to be on the front row because a small problem meant I was not able to be on track for the final five minutes of the session. That is the period when you improve your time and it was a pity that I couldn't battle in the final stages because I'm sure I had a chance of getting pole position. So to be on the front row despite not riding in the last five minutes is fantastic and I am very confident for the race tomorrow. I'm sure I have the pace to stay at the front and I am very happy to be on the front in the Tech 3 Team's home race. I will do my best for Tech 3 and our main sponsor and event sponsor Monster.”
Cal Crutchlow
Position 5th - Time 1.34.178 - Laps 22 “I can't be disappointed to have qualified in fifth position but I think I could have chal lenged for pole position had things gone my way. I made a couple of small mistakes on my fast laps right at the end and that cost me a little bit of time. And we didn't have the best set-up with the bike. We made some modifications for qualifying but with the conditions wet and damp at the start, we couldn't tell if it was an improvement and in hindsight it would have been better to stay with the setting I ran this morning. We are not sure what is in store with the weather tomorrow but I am happy with the job we did today and once again we are very close to the front and I'm really looking forward to a good fight in the race. Andrea did a good job today and it is great to have both Tech 3 Yamaha riders competing for the front row. Hopefully we can both have a strong result for Tech 3 and Monster tomorrow.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Yamaha Factory team French GP qualifying report
Next article Lorenzo wins at rain soaked Le Mans with Rossi second
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow heaps praise on Pedrosa-like Ai Ogura in MotoGP
MotoGP
MotoGP
San Marino GP
Cal Crutchlow heaps praise on Pedrosa-like Ai Ogura in MotoGP
Cal Crutchlow to ride through shoulder injury in “challenging” Balaton Park weekend
MotoGP
MotoGP
Hungarian GP
Cal Crutchlow to ride through shoulder injury in “challenging” Balaton Park weekend
Cal Crutchlow reveals shoulder problem that forced early retirement from Italian GP
MotoGP
MotoGP
Italian GP
Cal Crutchlow reveals shoulder problem that forced early retirement from Italian GP
More from
Tech 3
Maverick Vinales “thinking every night” about future: “I haven’t given up yet”
MotoGP
MotoGP
Japanese GP
Maverick Vinales “thinking every night” about future: “I haven’t given up yet”
Tech3 KTM confirms Maverick Vinales’ comeback for Japanese GP
MotoGP
MotoGP
Japanese GP
Tech3 KTM confirms Maverick Vinales’ comeback for Japanese GP
Maverick Vinales to make MotoGP return in post-Austrian GP Pirelli test
MotoGP
MotoGP
Maverick Vinales to make MotoGP return in post-Austrian GP Pirelli test
Latest news
Max Verstappen on GTWC Europe debut: “We’re here to win”
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 6 h
Max Verstappen on GTWC Europe debut: “We’re here to win”
How to watch NASCAR at Phoenix II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
6 h
How to watch NASCAR at Phoenix II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
Ryan Ellis signs multi-year NASCAR O'Reilly deal with Alpha Prime Racing
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
6 h
Ryan Ellis signs multi-year NASCAR O'Reilly deal with Alpha Prime Racing
Ayao Komatsu: Rafael Camara chosen for F1 2027 seat on speed, not Ferrari links
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
13 h
Ayao Komatsu: Rafael Camara chosen for F1 2027 seat on speed, not Ferrari links
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe