The Spaniard will start from second on the grid at Fantic’s home GP. Baltus qualified eighth after a crash and, most importantly, was declared fit for the race.
Fantic Racing Lino Sonego wraps up qualifying day at the Italian Grand Prix with big smiles at the iconic Mugello circuit. Aron Canet clinched a precious second spot on the grid thanks to a blazing lap of 1’49.831, just 86 thousandths off pole. The Spaniard worked methodically from Friday onwards, using every available session to fine-tune his chassis setup and secure direct access to Q2.
But qualifying didn’t come easy: Fast lap? Check. Front row? Check... but not without a scare. His flying lap was initially scrapped due to a yellow flag, caused by a crash from none other than his teammate Barry Baltus.
The team acted quickly: both Canet and Team Manager Roberto Locatelli went straight to Race Direction, proving the lap was valid. Result? Time reinstated. Front row saved. Adrenaline through the roof.
Baltus wasn’t far behind. Quick from the get-go, he went straight into Q2 with the fourth fastest time and showed great confidence on one of the most technical tracks of the calendar. Unfortunately, in the heat of qualifying, a crash while chasing the top 3 dashed his chances. Luckily, no injuries: after a quick check at the medical center, he was declared fit to race and will start eighth, thanks to a solid lap of 1’50.079.
All of this happened at Fantic’s home GP, with the garage packed full of guests, friends, and partners, and the Tuscany sun blazing down. There’s tension, there’s energy, there’s a hunger to make noise. And tomorrow, it’s go time.
All signs point to a Sunday to remember. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.
See you tomorrow for the Italian GP!
Aron Canet:
"I'm really happy because we’ve finally made a big step forward. We still have margin to improve, and there are many races ahead to reach our goal. But this was the first Grand Prix where the 2025 chassis was fast even in qualifying, and that’s a positive sign. Yes, it was clear that we needed to go back to the 2025 chassis, because in the end, tyre management is better. For example, in Aragón, I had a huge drop. I used the hard front tyre, while others were on the soft, and even then I couldn’t keep up. That’s when I decided: even though I liked the 2024 chassis, I had to switch, because the tyre degradation was too high.
In the race, I’ve always been strong with this chassis, but I hadn’t been fast yet in time attack. And here, at a track where I took two poles in 2022 and 2023 but where I’ve always struggled a bit, I was fast. So that’s great, especially thinking ahead to the race, which will definitely be unpredictable.
Honestly, I’ll stay behind and see what happens. I’ll just ride my pace. I’ll sit back and say, ‘I’m staying right here, no one move.’ If someone wants to push, let them go. I think one of two things will happen: either someone escapes alone, or a group of 5–6 riders forms. I don’t think it’ll be a big group battle.
They had cancelled my lap due to a yellow flag, but honestly, I didn’t see anything. I thank Race Direction for understanding and reviewing everything. So yes, I’ll start from second.
The goal for tomorrow? I want to be honest: just enjoy it. Yesterday, when I spoke with Sanchis, I was 14th, and it felt like the worst moment of the entire last year. Not just this season, but the whole year. The anxiety was heavy. So yes, tomorrow I just want to have fun."
Barry Baltus:
"I'm a bit disappointed with how qualifying went today because we definitely had the potential to do really well. I was pushing hard to get into the top spots, but unfortunately, I lost the front and went down. Luckily, I'm okay – and that's the most important thing. Tomorrow will be a long and demanding race, but we’ve got a good pace and I’m confident I can fight back. We’ll give it everything we’ve got, as always."
Roberto Locatelli – Team Manager:
"It was a positive Saturday, even if only halfway. Unfortunately, Barry had a crash during qualifying, but luckily he's okay. He showed great pace and a strong connection with the bike from the start. He’s still in a good position on the grid, and I believe he can fight for the top spots – even for the podium.
As for Aron, he had an outstanding weekend. As you know, we’re working with the 2025 bike after coming from the previous race with the 2024 package. Choosing to push forward with the new material wasn’t easy, but today it paid off. Securing a front row start is a great result, achieved with determination and focus. Tomorrow, we’ll have a 100% Canet – and I’m confident he’ll be in the fight for the win."
