BETA TOOLS SPEEDUP

WEATHER CONDITIONS HAMPER JAPANESE GP QUALIFYING. LÓPEZ ON THIRD ROW, ALDEGUER ON FIFTH

The second day of the Japanese Grand Prix proved to be a real challenge for the Beta Tools SpeedUp team, which had to deal with highly unstable weather conditions. Alonso López and Fermín Aldeguer finished qualifying in eighth and fifteenth place, respectively, after a session that was unfortunately affected by rain.

Both riders started FP2 on rain tires, but as the track dried up, a quick pit stop for a tire change became necessary. In the final stage of the session, Alonso set the seventh-fastest time with a lap of 1’51.860, followed by Aldeguer in ninth with a time of 1’52.211. However, the times from the previous day were taken into consideration for access to Q2, with rider #21 finishing in thirteenth (1’50.269) and #54 in seventh (1’50.114).

The afternoon brought further difficulties. Both team riders began Q2 with a dry setup, hoping for an improvement in track conditions, but the rain intensified after a few laps. Attempting to switch to wet tires would have been pointless, and since there were no conditions to improve on the lap times previously set with slick tires, neither López nor Aldeguer managed to return to the track, finishing in eighth (1’53.385) and fifteenth position (1’54.750), respectively.

Alonso will therefore start tomorrow from the third row, while Fermín will line up on the fifth row.

ALONSO LÓPEZ #21: 8th in 1’53.385

“It wasn’t the qualifying session we were hoping for. We knew we could aim for the front two rows, but the weather wasn’t on our side. When it started to rain, I hoped it would stop, so I waited a bit before coming back to the pits, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. The first three laps determined the starting grid, and those who took risks early on and gave it their all secured the pole position. Tomorrow, if the track conditions allow, I expect a race where I can make up some positions”.

FERMÍN ALDEGUER #54: 15th in 1’54.750

“We were unfortunate. It was an unusual qualifying session where we all found ourselves waiting to see if it was worth continuing. When I returned to the pits, we realized that it didn’t make sense to go back out for the last three laps, especially considering the high risk of crashing and getting hurt. We start from the fifth row, so it will be essential to make a good start and wait for the right moment to overtake and gain positions”.