Pole-sitter Rosberg refusing to get carried away - MotorSportsTalk

Nico Rosberg may have stormed to pole position in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, but the German driver is refusing to get carried away when thinking of the race tomorrow.

Mercedes have had one of their drivers on pole twice already this season, and in both races they failed to claim the victory. In Bahrain, Rosberg dropped through the field to finish 9th, and for this reason he is not anticipating a race victory tomorrow in Barcelona.

“After what we saw in Bahrain it is nice, but we cannot be over confident when we’re thinking about the race result,” Rosberg said in the press conference after qualifying.

“We’re surprised to be that quick, but it was a good qualifying and a good lap in the end, so I’m really, really happy with that.”

Rosberg had also shown good pace in Q1, but he backed off a little in Q2 which meant that he was not widely considered to be in the running for pole position. However, the result is one that the Mercedes driver is very proud of.

“It’s a good boost for the team, the front row is fantastic but of course we have to be a bit cautious after Bahrain.”

Rosberg suffered from heavy rear tire wear in Bahrain, but he is confident that this will not be as problematic in the race tomorrow.

“This morning [during the long runs] was better so I am a little bit more confident.”

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The Mercedes W04 certainly appears to have the edge over one-lap, but until the team can secure its first race win of the season, questions will persist. One good omen for the team is that in every race since 1996, the winner has started on the front row. Therefore, the German marque could be presented with its best chance to win so far this season in tomorrow’s race.

With three multiple winners now vying for the championship, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series heads to Round 11 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

Chase Sexton earned his second victory of the season in Detroit when Aaron Plessinger fell on the final lap. Though he was penalized seven points for disobeying a flag, Sexton is third in the championship race. The Honda rider trails leader Cooper Webb (two victories) by 17 points, and defending series champion Eli Tomac (five wins) is three points behind Webb in second with seven races remaining.

Tomac won last year in Seattle on the way to his second season title.

Honda riders have a Supercross-leading 20 victories in the Seattle event but none at Lumen Field since Justin Barcia in 2013. Tomac and Barcia are the only past 450 Seattke winners entered in Saturday’s event.

Here are the pertinent details for watching Round 11 of the 2023 Supercross season in Seattle:

(All times are ET)

BROADCAST/STREAMING SCHEDULE: TV coverage of Round 11 will begin Saturday at 10 p.m. ET streaming on Peacock with a re-air Monday at 1 a.m. ET on CNBC. The Race Day Live show (including qualifying) will begin on Peacock at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

NBC Sports will have exclusive live coverage of races, qualifiers and heats for the record 31 events in SuperMotocross. The main events will be presented on Peacock, NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and NBC Sports digital platforms.

Peacock will become the home of the SuperMotocross World Championship series in 2023 with live coverage of all races, qualifying, and heats from January to October. There will be 23 races livestreamed exclusively on Peacock, including a SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff event. The platform also will provide on-demand replays of every race. Click here for the full schedule.

POINTS STANDINGS: 450 division l 250 division

ENTRY LISTS: 450 division l 250 division

EVENT SCHEDULE (all times ET):

Here are the start times for Saturday’s Supercross Round 11 in Seattle, according to the Monster Energy Supercross schedule from the AMA:

4:50 p.m.: 250SX Group B Qualifying 1
5:05 p.m.: 250SX Group A Qualifying 1
5:20 p.m.: 450SX Group A Qualifying 1
5:35 p.m.: 450SX Group B Qualifying 1
6:25 p.m.: 250SX Group B Qualifying 2
6:40 p.m.: 250SX Group A Qualifying 2
7:55 p.m.: 450SX Group A Qualifying 2
8:10 p.m.: 450SX Group B Qualifying 2
10:06 p.m.: 250SX Heat 1
10:20 p.m.: 250SX Heat 2
10:34 p.m.: 450SX Heat 1
10:48 p.m.: 450SX Heat 2
11:22 p.m.: 250SX Last Chance Qualifier
11:34 p.m.: 450SX Last Chance Qualifier
11:54 p.m.: 250SX Main Event
12:28 a.m.: 450SX Main Event