Danish dominates Rookies Friday at Le Mans

Fastest in all three sessions, Hakim Danish took pole position for the French round of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Riding alone in the all-important Qualifying session at the end of the day, the Malaysian 17-year-old repeated his Jerez pole.

Just 0.135 seconds behind is Jerez Race 1 winner Brian Uriarte and fellow Spaniard Beñat Fernandez completes the front row. Danish will serve a long lap penalty in Race 1 as he was deemed to have caused a crash with another rider.

The huge crowd will have their eyes on French 17-year-old Guillem Planques, who lines up 10th on the grid but just one second off pole.

Hakim Danish 1st
“Yes, it’s a good day, another pole position. I felt comfortable on the bike and I very much like this track, it’s a beautiful layout. I know that Brian will also have a good pace tomorrow, but I will try and keep my focus and momentum. I know I could have been a little quicker with a slipstream, but I wanted to go alone and I am very happy with the time and with the bike.”

Brian Uriarte 2nd
“That was OK, but I was looking for one more lap and didn’t get it. I am still looking for my first Rookie Pole. I know that the race is more important, but I want it! “ stated the 16-year-old.

“In the end, I was happy with the bike, but it is so different to the KTM I ride in Junior GP that it does take time to adapt when I get on the Rookies bike. We changed it a bit from FP to Qualifying and now I have a good feeling. Hakim is quick, we have similar lap times, so I hope that we can break away.”

Beñat Fernandez 3rd
“It was a good lap. I struggled a bit on the last sector because I found other riders, but at least it was good and I am surprised to be on the front row. I’ve never been here before, but I run it on the PlayStation, so I knew it a bit and now I am here, I really enjoy it.”

“I was struggling a bit with chatter earlier in the day, but we got that sorted and I am feeling good on the bike now,” concluded the 17-year-old.

David González 4th
“I’m very happy with that. I am getting used to the bike, more confident on it than I was in Jerez. It’s my first time here, but I am enjoying the track and we have the bike working well now.”

“It was not just one special lap, I think I can run that pace in the race and I am looking forward to it,” enthused the Spanish 17-year-old.

Leo Rammerstorfer 5th
“Yeah, I’m happy because the first two practice sessions I struggled a bit with the setting, but now we change two, three things in the front and it works out really, really good.”

“So I’m happy and I’m confident for tomorrow because the lap time I did alone. And I think for the race, I’m better prepared than Jerez, maybe starting in front there was a bit too much and I was not used to this, to be honest. Maybe the second row is a bit better for me,” concluded the 20-year-old Austrian with his brilliant smile.

Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.

Race 1 is at 17:00 CET on Saturday and Race 2 is on Sunday at 08:45, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.

For more info checkout our dedicated Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup News page Rookies Cup News

Or visit the official Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup website rookiescup.redbull.com/

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