Paulin third in qualifying for MXGP of GB
Gautier Paulin qualified in third for the MXGP of Great Britain today at the Matterley Basin track, and teammate Evgeny Bobryshev also demonstrated strong pace to set the third quickest lap on his way back to eighth.
From the start Gautier emerged in sixth after a little evasive action forced him onto a slipperier part of the track, but then set about closing down the lead pack. Making good progress, with just four minutes of the 20 minute race to go he made a pass for third stick and didn’t look back as he continued his and the team’s strong run of podium performances.
The start wasn’t quite so easy for Evgeny Bobryshev who emerged from the first few corners down in 12th. Fighting back determinedly, the big Russian showed exceptional pace, at one point setting the fastest lap of the race as he clawed back lost ground and closed on the quartet of riders ahead of him. Ultimately, his pace was good enough for third fastest, but only seven hundredths shy of the best lap.
Racing tomorrow at the Winchester, UK venue gets underway at 1415hrs local time with the first of two 30-minute motos.
Roger Harvey
“The laptimes were very good today from both boys so we’re happy with the pace. They’ve just got to ensure they’re not in traffic tomorrow. Gautier had a reasonable start and then it was nice to see him moving forward. Bobby moved forward well from not a good start, so maybe we’ll try a different strategy tomorrow but hopefully we can be where we need to be, on the podium. The pace is good for top three, so that’s what we need to aim for.”
Gautier Paulin 21
“I’m pleased to have a good place on the gate for tomorrow. I’m happy with my riding and with the lines and everything, but I got a little arm pump so I didn’t ride at the level I wanted. I know why though so definitely tomorrow it won’t be a problem. Sixth was not the place I expected from the start because the first two corners were pretty tricky. In front of me Nagl and Desalle were really close to crashing so I had to go outside which meant I was inside on the next corner, and when I accelerated it was like a mirror so I slide pretty hard. But I’m happy to come back to third and it's a good position to aim for more tomorrow.”
Evgeny Bobryshev 777
“My pace was good and I’m happy with the bike and with my riding, and everything was going well today. Just with a good start I could finish in the top three for sure, but we didn’t have a good start today so I was fighting to come from out of the top ten to eighth. There are a few places where you can pass but it’s not so easy as there is one nice line but when you change that it’s quite tricky so I had about three places around the lap where I could pass, but you have to be really fast and aggressive to make it happen. Still, I was feeling strong and I think we’re looking strong for tomorrow.”
Results
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
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Location Information
matterley basin, Lower Baybridge Lane, Winchester, United Kingdom - View in Google Maps
