MotoGP Argentina: Bautista 19th, Melandri 24th, but the rider from Ravenna reduces the gap from the other riders

Alvaro Bautista he gets the 19th time at Rio Hondo and will therefore open the seventh row tomorrow with his Aprilia. The Spaniard continues to make progress with the Noale bike and after the first world championship point achieved last Sunday at Cota, today he achieved the best result in qualifying since he has been riding the Aprilia. More delayed however Marco Melandri who instead finishes with the 24th time, but he manages to greatly reduce the gap from the riders in front of him.

“We worked hard and well – said Alvaro Bautista – In the morning we tried a very different chassis set from yesterday to improve cornering and we gained something. In FP4 we tried with the hard front, to understand if it could be an option in the race but it didn't give me confidence, tomorrow we will use the medium. In qualifying I just tried to be as precise as possible, it's a shame that in the two good outings I lost a few tenths but the day remains good. Tomorrow it will be essential to manage the tires, especially in the first laps."

“I thought I was progressing more than yesterday – added Marco Melandri – especially in qualifying. We need to find more grip at the rear and improve stability at the front to close the corners better. It's an essential condition for me to be able to drive while really pushing."