Second pole of the season for Simón

The 125cc qualifying session at Jerez on Saturday afternoon followed the free practice form as Julián Simón took top spot for his home race, with a 1’48.237 best lap.

In a great QP for the Bancaja Aspar team Bradley Smith put himself second on the grid behind team-mate Simón with a lap two tenths off the Spaniard’s pace, whilst the team’s third rider Sergio Gadea (Bancaja Aspar) qualified in fifth place.

Tucking themselves in behind Simón and Smith were series leader Andrea Iannone (Ongetta Team I.S.P.A) and the young Spanish rider Marc Márquez (Red Bull KTM) – who missed last year’s race in his debut campaign due to a preseason injury.

Gadea missed the front row by just 0.024s, but heads up the second line of the grid in front of Dominique Aegerter (Ajo Interwetten). Scott Redding (Blusens Aprilia) and Danny Webb (Degraaf Grand Prix) were seventh and eighth respectively, meaning there are three Britons on the front two rows.