Furusato Shows Improvement but Faces Last-Row Penalty Start in Italy
Autodromo Internazionale del MugelloThe qualifying day at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello started under sunny conditions, with riders taking advantage of the dry track during the morning FP2 session. Taiyo Furusato continued his positive progression throughout the weekend, finishing 22nd while working on race pace and final setup adjustments ahead of Sunday's race.
During the Q1 session, the Japanese rider made another clear step forward and remained in contention for a place in Q2 until the final moments. Furusato ultimately finished eighth in Q1, showing improved competitiveness and reducing the gap to the front runners.
However, after the session he received a nine-place grid penalty for riding slowly in the final sector during qualifying. As a result, he will start Sunday's race from the last row of the grid. Despite the setback, the team remains focused on continuing its positive momentum and fighting to recover positions during the 19-lap race.
The Moto2 qualifying has been completed in very good weather conditions, and overall it was a positive day for Taiyo. Compared to yesterday, he improved by around one and a half seconds, which is a significant step forward. We can clearly see that the gap to the front riders has been reduced and that he is getting closer to the level we want.
Of course, there is still work to do and more areas where he needs to improve, but today's progression was encouraging. The race is long and there may be opportunities tomorrow. If he can maintain this progression and continue improving throughout the race, I believe he has the possibility to fight closer to the points positions.
The Moto2 qualifying has been completed in very good weather conditions, and overall it was a positive day for Taiyo. Compared to yesterday, he improved by around one and a half seconds, which is a significant step forward. We can clearly see that the gap to the front riders has been reduced and that he is getting closer to the level we want.
Of course, there is still work to do and more areas where he needs to improve, but today's progression was encouraging. The race is long and there may be opportunities tomorrow. If he can maintain this progression and continue improving throughout the race, I believe he has the possibility to fight closer to the points positions.
The feeling today was definitely better than yesterday and I am happy with the progress we made throughout the weekend. Together with the team we improved the bike setup and I felt more comfortable, especially during qualifying. We are still not where we want to be, but the gap to the front is getting smaller and that is a positive sign.
Of course, the grid penalty makes tomorrow's race more difficult because I will have to start from the back of the grid. Nevertheless, I want to stay focused on the positives from today and continue working step by step. We know there is still a lot to improve, but we are moving in the right direction. My goal is to make a strong race, gain positions and fight as close as possible to the points.
The feeling today was definitely better than yesterday and I am happy with the progress we made throughout the weekend. Together with the team we improved the bike setup and I felt more comfortable, especially during qualifying. We are still not where we want to be, but the gap to the front is getting smaller and that is a positive sign.
Of course, the grid penalty makes tomorrow's race more difficult because I will have to start from the back of the grid. Nevertheless, I want to stay focused on the positives from today and continue working step by step. We know there is still a lot to improve, but we are moving in the right direction. My goal is to make a strong race, gain positions and fight as close as possible to the points.
