Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) timed the weather to perfection to take his first Grand Prix pole position at the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina. His 1.53.782, just before the rain started to fall at Turn 1, was 0.306 seconds ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) who grabbed his best ever qualifying. The weather might be miserable, but the passionate home crowd had something to cheer about as Argentine Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) lines up third on the grid for tomorrow's race.
Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Adam Norrodin missed out on the front row by just 0.016 of a second in fourth, with Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) lining up fifth. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), who was quickest in FP3, completes the second row of the grid. 0.003 behind him was SIC58 Squadra Corse rider Niccolo Antonelli who heads the third row, as Championship rivals Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) line up next to each other in eighth and ninth.
That's how you celebrate your maiden #Moto3 pole position ????#ArgentinaGP pic.twitter.com/FNs0GWUY07
— MotoGP™???????????? (@MotoGP) April 7, 2018
Despite crashing whilst coming back on to the track at Turn 1, Andrea Migno (Angel Nieto Team Moto3) remounted and qualified in the top ten, with a number of high profile riders further down the order.
Click here for the full qualifying results. The lights go out for the Moto3™ race on Sunday at 12:00 (GMT -3), be sure to watch what promises to be a phenomenal showdown.
Sunday Race Guide
-
Tony Arbolino has topped qualifying for the first time to become the seventh Italian rider to start from pole position since the introduction of the Moto3™ class in 2010. He’s the first born in 2000 and beyond.
-
The highest placed KTM rider on the grid is Marco Bezzecchi, who starts from the front row for the first time in his Grand Prix career.
-
Gabriel Rodrigo will start from third on the grid to become the first Argentinian rider to start from the front row in Argentina since Sebastián Porto (250cc, 1999). He will be aiming to become the first Argentinian rider to win a race in Argentina since Benedicto Caldarella (500cc, 1962) and the first in the lightweight category.
-
Heading the second row is Adam Norrodin, which is his best qualifying result and the best from a Malaysian rider since Khairul Idham Pawi was third in Mugello back in 2016.
-
In fifth place on the grid is Enea Bastianini, who crashed last year in Termas de Río Hondo but managed to remount and finish 27th.
-
Fabio di Giannantonio will start from sixth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was third last year in Misano.
-
World Championship leader Jorge Martín has qualified in ninth on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 13th last season in Austria. He will be aiming to take his third successive win in the Moto3™ class.