Ogura gets his first Moto2™ pole in ultra-tight Q2 session

IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura came out on top in an ultra-tight Q2 session for the Moto2™ class at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. It is the Japanese rider’s first pole position in the intermediate class, and he will share the front row on Sunday with Elf Marc VDS Racing Team duo Tony Arbolino and Sam Lowes.

Blink and you miss pole

Arbolino and Lowes were among the quickest throughout Q2. The former moved into provisional pole position with a 1:41.299 at the halfway mark, and his British team-mate set a 1:41.321 just moments later, giving Marc VDS a one-two at that point in time.

Ogura, who is second in the World Championship at two points ahead of Arbolino, then set a 1:41.289 in the final five minutes. It put him 0.010s clear of the Italian and 0.032s ahead of Lowes, margins which would stay the same for the remainder of the session.

Heroic Canet qualifies on Row 2

Still, praise must be reserved for Flexbox HP40’s Aron Canet. Only six days after breaking his left radius bone in the multi-rider crash in Portugal, he was also in the fight for pole position in Spain. In fact, Canet’s 1:41.369 had him fastest until Arbolino took over, and was good enough for fourth on the starting grid in the end.

Also on Row 2 will be Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) and Moto2™ World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), with Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) topping Q1 and ultimately qualifying seventh.

Disappointment for Dixon, Navarro

Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) was fastest in all three Free Practice sessions but the Briton crashed as he chased an improvement in the final two minutes of Q2 and could only take 11th on the starting grid. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) came through Q1 before he too had a spill, and will line up 13th on Sunday afternoon, one position ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team). Hometown rider Marcos Ramirez (MV Augusta Forward Racing) finished up just 0.017 seconds outside the Q1 top four, 19th overall.

The Moto2™ field is back for the Warm Up on Sunday at 09:20 (GMT +2), before riders go to battle again in the grand prix itself at 12:20.

Moto2™ Q2 Top 10:
1. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) - 1:41.289
2. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.010
3. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.032
4. Aron Canet (FlexBox HP40) + 0.080
5. Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) + 0.331
6. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing) + 0.452
7. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.464
8. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) + 0.526
9. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.612
10. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.625

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS!