BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha MotoGP

Guevara To Start From P10 as Qatar Title Chase Intensifies

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2's Izan Guevara rode to seventh place on the grid for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Qatar, but a three-position post-session penalty puts him in P10 for the race under the floodlights. Nevertheless, the title chaser remains firmly in the hunt for the Moto2 World Championship. Rookie Alberto Ferrández continued to build his experience at the Lusail International Circuit, earning 22nd place on tomorrow's starting grid.

GRAND PRIX OF QATAR

QUALIFYING

Lusail (Qatar), 7th November 2026

10th

IZAN GUEVARA
1'55.769 / 6 LAPS

22nd

ALBERTO FERRANDEZ
1'56.403 / 7 LAPS

BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2's Izan Guevara will line up tenth for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Qatar following a three-position post-qualifying penalty. Tomorrow, he looks to reduce the 3.5-point gap to the championship leader, who will be starting from P5. On the other side of the garage, rookie Alberto Ferrández continued his learning process at a circuit he is tackling for the first time, securing 22nd place on the grid for Sunday's race.

Guevara started the Saturday by finishing FP2 in second position, just behind championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, promising an intense qualifying. The BLU CRU rider made his intentions clear right from the start of Q2 by setting a 1'55.769s that briefly put him in provisional pole before being pushed to second place. The number 28 immediately returned to the pits. By the time he commenced his second run, he was in third place and 0.528s from first. However, traffic on track meant he was not able to improve. His earlier best effort, set on lap 2/6, kept him in seventh place. Ultimately, a three-position post-session penalty puts him tenth on the grid.

Ferrández used the Saturday afternoon session to put in a race simulation around the Lusail track layout. Having ended FP2 in P26, the rookie was keen to find a time improvement in the slightly cooler evening session. His first attempt had him rank inside the all-important top 4. Unable to improve on his second try, he quickly returned to the pits. He was holding P6 as he started his second run, and he put up a good fight. Posting a 1'56.403s on lap 6/7, he ended the session in 8th place, 0.432s from the fastest rider. The result puts him 22nd on the grid for the race.

Tomorrow's 18-lap Moto2 Grand Prix of Qatar Race will get underway at 17:15 (GMT+3).

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ALEX DE ANGELIS
Team Manager, BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2

"We're not completely satisfied with our starting position, mainly because traffic prevented us from putting together our best lap on the final attempt. We were certainly capable of improving on the time we set during the first run. However, we're not that far back, so nothing is compromised. As always, the race will be what matters most, especially at this circuit, where tyre wear becomes a key factor from the halfway point onwards. We're confident we have a good pace, and our rider is performing strongly, so hopefully he can make another good start, as he often does, and put himself in the fight.

"Alberto, unlike in Malaysia, has had a very different kind of weekend. He started with some difficulties, but he has worked well with the technical team session after session to improve the bike and find a better feeling. He is now much faster and closer to the group ahead. He was understandably keen to make it into Q2, but we're confident he can have a good race tomorrow. His long run in today's free practice was already very encouraging, with a strong and consistent pace."

IZAN GUEVARA
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider

"Traffic made it difficult to put together a good lap. I initially wanted to do the first run on my own, but I made a couple of mistakes. I was still in a good position, so the plan was to stay calm and try to follow someone for the next attempt. Unfortunately, just before the final corner, there was a moment of confusion with several riders together. One rider slowed down unexpectedly, and I almost hit him, while others nearly hit me from behind. It unsettled me, and by the time I got back into position, I had riders ahead of me whom I caught too quickly. I couldn't put the lap together as I wanted.

"I'm not happy with how the day ended. In FP2, I felt very good, and things were also looking positive during the evening, until that final run. It was the first time I had tried to work within a group to get the most out of a qualifying lap, but unfortunately I ended up being affected by what happened on track. We could clearly have done better, but now we need to take the positives from today and focus on tomorrow.

"Starting tenth is not quite what we had hoped for, but the race is long and many things can happen here. The front tyre has its limits, so managing it will be important. I'll try to make up a few places in the opening laps and get myself into a good position, while avoiding mistakes and looking after the tyre.

"I'll give everything to fight at the front and try to close the gap in the championship, but we also need to be smart. If we have to accept losing some points at a circuit we knew would be challenging, then so be it. The priority is to stay calm, manage the race as well as possible, and make the most of every opportunity."

ALBERTO FERRANDEZ
BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Rider

"Today was a really positive day because we managed to improve my feeling with the bike, especially in qualifying. This afternoon we completed a long run on used tyres to check our race pace, and then we made a few changes to the bike in the evening to help me find a better feeling. The improvements were immediate, and I felt much more comfortable. We also gained almost a second compared with yesterday's Practice and around a second and a half compared with this afternoon's FP2.

"I'm very happy because this was the first session in which I really felt good on the bike, and we showed that we have the potential to be competitive. Now we need to keep following this direction, continue working, and make further progress."