Riding alone costs Livio Loi front row start

There was nothing wrong with the pace and the lap times Livio Loi set on the second day of the Argentinian Grand Prix. The only thing that forced RW Racing GP’s rider to start the Moto3 race tomorrow from tenth place, was the lack of a slipstream in the second sector of the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo.

Despite the somewhat disappointing result at the end of qualifying it was a good day for RW Racing GP. In the free practice in the Argentinian morning Loi concentrated on race pace, on overtaking points and on finding his place in a group more than on pure speed. He finished the session in sixth after topping the time sheets for quite a while.

Finishing the practices in second and sixth (twice) made the outlook for qualifying really interesting and hopeful. Loi went quite well and looked to be in the top 6 again, but in the final minutes of the session he couldn’t find the slipstream he needed for a front row start. Instead he was riding alone again. Normally that would have been good, but especially in the second sector of the track a tow is essential for a really fast lap time.

Livio Loi - 10 (1.50,522)

“I’m fast on my own, but in qualifying you need a slipstream. Lacking one in the end of the session cost me about half a second. Now the difference to the pole position is 0,755. That is very unfortunate because I lost a lot while there was so much to gain. Looking back on the day overall I’m satisfied. It’s another good weekend so far. The start of the race will be messy again, I think. I expect a big group staying together for a while and it will be a matter of fighting my way through to the front end. But the rhythm is good, the pace is good and I feel strong and confident.”