Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 got dizzy with 15 Sprint laps of the compact and relentlessly curving Sachsenring and the ninth outing of the season for 2024 MotoGP. Augusto Fernandez crossed the line in 16th place, finishing six positions ahead of Pedro Acosta, who had been tussling for the top ten but ran off track at Turn 13 and conceded time and positions.
MotoGP’s intense back-to-back schedule brought the series directly from Assen to the Sachsenring and a sharp contrast of track demands. The 3.6km layout and 10 left hand turns placed a lot of stress on one side of the Michelin tires and also pushed agility and edge grip potential to the fore. Friday was overcast and blowy, but it did not stop Pedro Acosta – a rider with two wins in two different classes and three podium finishes for his three appearances in total at the site – from achieving Q2 entry with the 8th quickest lap-time. Augusto Fernandez was on the pace and was just 0.3 of a second from also making it through.
Saturday was hotter and brighter and saw the red GASGAS RC16s attempt to shine with their time attacks in the sunshine. Fernandez finished Q1 in 5th, meaning 15th on the grid for the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Acosta negotiated Q2 with nine laps made to secure the 10th best effort; less than a second from Pole.
The 15-lap race was a static and carefully measured affair as the riders looked for overtaking margins and to judge tire wear. Acosta initially lost ground on the first lap but was fighting back to the fringe of the top ten when a misjudgment down the hill into turns 12 and 13 saw him run off the asphalt. He rejoined in 22nd place and saved his GASGAS RC16 for tomorrow’s battle. Augusto tried to implement his best possible rhythm and scored a top sixteen.
30 laps will constitute the full German Grand Prix from 14.00 tomorrow and the last dash before MotoGP enters the summer break during July.
Augusto Fernandez, 15th in qualifying, 16th in the Sprint: “The results are still not there but the day was positive in terms of speed. I feel more competitive, and we are getting there. I managed to do a good Quali and a good lap-time but had a bad start and struggled to overtake, so this will be something to improve for tomorrow. Let’s see, the pace is not bad.”
Pedro Acosta, 10th in qualifying, 22nd in the Sprint: “I could not unlock the front start device around the first lap so that was an issue but afterwards things came good and I made some passes. I then ‘locked’ the front tire when I was straight and that meant I ran out down the hill. It’s something we’ve been having this weekend, so we need to look at it. I think the cooler conditions might be better for us tomorrow but we still need to look after the tire.”
Nicolas Goyon, GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager: “This weekend has been a bit more difficult than expected. Augusto had his best qualifying of the season and Pedro was also there in the top ten but both had tricky starts. From that point it was a struggle and for Pedro going straight on a Turn 12 put him to the back of the group. We’ll try to understand what we can do better for tomorrow’s race.”
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