Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) has taken the final Moto2™ pole position of the season ahead of rookie Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. The two Spaniards are split by just 0.017 as Stefano Manzi claims a famous maiden front row start of the season for MV Agusta Temporary Forward.
Navarro’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio was the early pacesetter in Moto2™ Q2, but the Italian’s session would soon end in the gravel trap at Turn 5. With seven minutes to go ‘Diggia’ remained top as his 2018 Moto3™ teammate Martin slotted himself into P2. It was then Manzi’s turn to get close to Di Giannantonio as the gap was cut to 0.039, with Free Practice timesheet topper Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then going P2. However, the tables then turned and it was another Speed Up at the summit – Navarro going 0.185 faster than anyone, Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) going second quickest.
It wasn’t done there though. Manzi then went second ahead of his fellow VR46 Academy rider Marini to all-but seal MV’s first Moto2™ front row of the season. But it wouldn’t be P2. That went to Martin in the dying stages of the session as two Spaniards sit first and second at their home round. Manzi’s class weekend continues as he picks up his best-ever Grand Prix front row start, Marini had to settle for P4 thanks to Martin’s late lap. Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) will aim to claim the 2019 runners-up spot from the middle of the second row, Di Giannantonio could do nothing more than watch on as he slipped to P6 from provisional pole.
Binder will have been hoping for more from P7, he will scrap with Lüthi for P2 in the World Championship as the South African leads a third row consisting of Augusto Fernandez (FlexBox HP 40) and Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) – the highest finisher of Q1 graduates Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Jake Dixon (Inde Angel Nieto Team), Bastianini and Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46). Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top 10.
With 2019 World Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) starting from P15 and the field incredibly tight, we look set for a sensational final Moto2™ race of 2019. Tune in for it live at 12:20 local time (GMT+1).
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