Sperava in un sabato più fortunato il Team MV Agusta Forward Racing per provare a partire più avanti domani. Si prospetta una domenica in rimonta al Gran Premio d’Austria, una caratteristica che Simone Corsi e Stefano Manzi hanno già mostrato di saper trovare nelle proprie corde. Le FP3, svolte su una pista più fredda rispetto a ieri, avevano fatto ben sperare per Manzi capace di far registrare un ottimo 1’29.240, meno di mezzo centesimo fuori dalla qualifica diretta in Q2. Purtroppo il romagnolo è stato sfortunato nel pomeriggio, in cui tutti hanno girato più lenti rispetto al mattino, sfiorando l’accesso alla Q2 di 26 millesimi; domani aprirà la 7ª fila in griglia. Ancora focus sul ritrovare il feeling con la moto per Corsi: il pilota della Fiamme Oro ha sfruttato la mattinata per lavorare ancora sul set-up. A penalizzarlo è la forma fisica dopo l’ infortunio di Brno e, in un’agguerrita Q1 dalla classifica molto corta, ha chiuso in 10ª fila. Domani sarà dunque importante ritrovare buone sensazioni già nel Warm Up (9:10), per testare le condizioni del Red Bull Ring di Spielberg, ostaggio di un tempo sempre incerto. Poi sarà una gara da vivere col fiato sospeso, con i due centauri italiani pronti a dar battaglia per rimontare; partenza alle 12:20.

AUSTRIAN GP – MV AGUSTA FORWARD RACING ALMOST IN Q2

Team MV Agusta Forward Racing hoped for a luckier Saturday, trying to start ahead tomorrow. It’s gonna be a comeback Sunday at the Austrian Gran Prix, something really in the cards for Simone Corsi and Stefano Manzi. With a colder track than yesterday, FP3 send out some positive signal for Manzi. He was able to set his best lap in 1’29.240, less than half of a hundredth away from the direct qualification for Q2. Unfortunately, the rider from Romagna, in a slower afternoon session for everybody, came up short in the race for Q2, missing it for just 26 thousandths of a second. He’ll open the 7th row on the grid. Corsi was once again focused on regain the feeling with the bike: the Fiamme Oro rider worked on the set-up in the morning. His injury from Brno still causes some troubles to him. In a fierce, tight Q1 he ended up in 10th row. It’s gonna be an important Warm Up tomorrow (9:10 AM), useful to test the condition of the Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring, with a close look at the changing weather. A race with bated breath, with the two Italian riders ready to fight their way back to the top: start at 12:20 AM.

«They were some difficult days for me, I don’t have a good feeling with the bike. We tried different things on the bike: it changes the feeling but the time’s not improving. I don’t have much confidence on the front, I’m not able to push as much as I would. Of course, I’m not in best physical condition but it’s not an excuse to me. I just don’t have the right feeling while riding. I’m working on this with the team, tomorrow we’ll try another set-up. We’ll do our best to improve a little bit in the race».

«Today was a day below our expectations because we weren’t as high-performing as we should in key moments. Stefano has a good pace but in two different moments, during FP3 and Q1, was stuck in the jam during his fast lap, so he lost some time and that ruined the work done. This morning he was very close to qualifying himself in Q2 and this afternoon was left outside for just 26 thousandth of a second. He was 3 tenths of a second close to the top in both occasions. Simone, instead, struggled a little bit with the injury and trying to regain the feeling with the bike. He didn’t manage to hit the target set. Unfortunately, in a Championship like this the riders are all very close to each other and, when you’re not 100% fit, loosing a little bit every turn of the way it’s a mess. Ahead of them lay a difficult task but we’ll set the bikes better than ever, trying to help’em tomorrow in the comeback. They’ve already shown what are capable of in this situation».