Catalunya GP: Canet to start from 7th, Baltus from 14th
A competitive Saturday for Fantic Racing Lino Sonego, ready for the Barcelona challenge.
Fantic Racing Lino Sonego wrapped up qualifying at Montmeló with positive signs ahead of tomorrow’s race. Barry Baltus and Aron Canet originally set the fifth and ninth fastest times, confirming the strength of the team that arrived in Catalunya as Team standings leader.
The weekend kicked off with an intense Friday of setup work: Aron Canet struggled to find the right feeling in the opening stages but eventually put together a perfect lap in Practice to secure the best time and direct access to Q2. Barry Baltus, 13th in practice, also earned his spot in the decisive qualifying session. Saturday morning’s FP2 was useful to fine-tune the bikes further and test race pace, with both riders showing progress.
In qualifying, the level of competitiveness was extremely high, with very small gaps between riders. Baltus set the fifth fastest time and came close to the front row: a lap that could have meant pole position was cancelled due to a yellow flag. Later, the Belgian received a penalty for slowing down in two sectors — something not allowed by regulations — and will therefore start from 14th on the grid. Canet, who had finished ninth in qualifying, benefits from other riders’ penalties and will line up from 7th place.
Tomorrow tire management will be crucial: the Montmeló track, notoriously demanding, could see grip levels drop from the very first laps, turning the race into a true test of endurance and strategy.
Aron Canet: “It hasn’t been an easy weekend so far, we’re still looking for the right key to be consistently fast. Today in qualifying I was a bit unlucky, as I couldn’t complete my second attempt, and without that mistake I think I could have made it into the top 5. Anyway, I’m not fully satisfied: we have the potential to be further ahead and we know what we need to work on. Tomorrow will be a survival race, on a track where overtaking is difficult. Together with the team we’ve identified the weak points and we’re working to find the solution. It will be tough, but I’ll give my best.”
Barry Baltus: “I’m quite happy with how things are going, even if there’s some disappointment today because on my fast lap I could have even fought for pole. It doesn’t matter, the important thing is that we’ve been fast all weekend, confidence is high and we’re fighting at the front. This morning’s pace wasn’t bad at all, so we need to stay confident for tomorrow. The time attack also went well and the team did a great job, especially on a track that I honestly wouldn’t list among my favorites. Let’s keep going like this and tomorrow we’ll try to finish the job in the best possible way.”
Roberto Locatelli, Team Manager: “It was a very competitive qualifying, with lots of traffic and very fast rivals, but we showed that we’re fast too. Our goal today was to build the base for consistency tomorrow, because with tire management the whole field will be in difficulty and there will be many situations to deal with. In terms of outright speed, however, we are definitely at the top.”
