Yamaha Factory rider Ben Spies made it count this afternoon in difficult weather conditions to take third on the grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Valencia. The Texan completed his fastest lap on a used set of tyres having patiently circled waiting for a gap in the changing weather to put in a qualifying time.

Katsuyuki Nakasuga faced yet another treacherous day of unpredictable weather as he learnt his way around the twisty Valencia circuit. A fresh rear tyre towards the end of the qualifying session saw him exit the pits in confident mood to set a qualifying time however the drops of rain on the track meant he was unable to improve on 15th position.

Ben Spies - Position 3rd - Time 1.33.057 - Laps 22

“Qualifying was really hectic today for all the riders. There was a sprinkling of rain all the way through which makes you very nervous about how much to push. I have to say thank you Yamaha for a great bike. It’s working great here so we just need to pray for some dry time for the race. We’re going to get some rest tonight and try to make sure we end the season on a high tomorrow.”

Katsuyuki Nakasuga - Position 15th - Time 1.35.999 - Laps 25

“Today was quite difficult with the different weather conditions. I did feel that I understood the track a little bit better. This afternoon in qualifying we changed to a new tyre and I felt good with it but unfortunately was not able to make a better time as I was unsure how much to push with some rain falling. Tomorrow I will do my best for Yamaha; the experience will also help me in the future as a test rider!”

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“It’s been a very challenging weekend for Nakasuga-san to learn a complicated track in difficult weather conditions. Yesterday was pretty wet and this afternoon in qualifying there were spots of rain throughout. There’s been no clear run in one weather condition for him which has added to the complexity of the task. Under the circumstances we’re happy with his progress. It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow but we are all behind him.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“I think Ben really proved what he could do this afternoon, he didn’t surprise me, I was confident for him. I was a little worried about the weather but he did a great job despite the tricky conditions. To start from the front row considering all the problems we’ve had recently shows he is a tough rider. Unfortunately Nakasuga-san didn’t find the best conditions to learn a new track, Valencia looks simple but it isn’t. He knows what he has to do so I’m sure he’ll deliver the best result possible tomorrow.”

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