Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) could hardly have scripted the start to his 100th Grand Prix any better. With the Moto2 title fight hotting up, and Phillip Island serving up a frantic, yellow flag-filled Q2, the Championship leader produced a 1:30.122 when it mattered most to claim pole position for the first time since the Italian GP.
It was the Spaniard’s 10th career Moto2 pole and, perhaps more importantly, puts him in the perfect position to try to rebuild a Championship advantage that has been steadily eroded in recent rounds. With title rival Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) only 5.5 points behind but starting from the back of row two in sixth, Gonzalez heads into Sunday with a golden opportunity to strike.
After the sun broke through for Q1, Zonta van den Goorbergh (Momoven Idrofoglia RW Racing Team) topped the session ahead of Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – R.O.M.E.A – MSI), Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) and Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), sending all four through to Q2.
And that extra track time immediately appeared to count.
Van den Goorbergh was quickest after the opening flying laps before Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) took over at the top. Arbolino climbed into second while Lopez pressed on again, before yellow flags appeared in Sector 4. Crucially, they were withdrawn just before Van den Goorbergh and Lopez reached the affected area, allowing the latter to improve again.
The Q1 graduates continued to make their presence felt as Veijer surged into fourth, while Gonzalez began his own climb through the order. Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) then launched himself into second.
Then came the moment the Australian crowd had been waiting for: Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) went provisional pole.
At the halfway point, though, the timing screen looked nothing like anyone might have expected. Guevara sat ninth, Gonzalez 11th, David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) 14th and Filip Salac (OnlyFans American Racing Team) 16th as much of the field returned to pit lane ahead of one final assault.
With just over four minutes remaining, Van den Goorbergh led a train featuring Veijer, Gonzalez and Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) back onto flying laps.
Then things went pear-shaped.
Agius suffered a huge crash at Turn 8 on his out lap, destroying his machine and bringing out the yellow flags. Van den Goorbergh, Veijer, Gonzalez and Baltus had already cleared the sector but behind them the consequences were enormous. Guevara, Alonso, Taiyo Furusato (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Salac were all on fast laps, their attacks instantly compromised.
Gonzalez made the opportunity count.
The Championship leader fired in his pole lap, with Baltus slotting just 0.106s behind to make it a provisional one-two.
Then the final minutes became a flat-out scramble. Ortola charged into third before another set of yellow flags threatened to wreck the closing attacks.
Guevara and Salac had already cleared the affected sectors, and the Czech rider made the most of Guevara’s tow to blast into third with a 1:30.237, just 0.115s from pole. Ortola was therefore shuffled back to fourth.
Guevara continued pushing and eventually salvaged sixth, only 0.155s away from Gonzalez despite a session repeatedly interrupted by yellow flags.
Holgado claimed fifth between Ortola and Guevara, while Agius’ earlier benchmark was still good enough for seventh despite his crash. Huertas took eighth ahead of Lopez and Arbolino, with just 0.212s covering the entire top ten.
For David Alonso, it was a qualifying session to forget. The Colombian repeatedly found himself on the wrong side of the yellow flags and could manage only 14th.
So Gonzalez will celebrate his 100th Grand Prix start from pole position, with Baltus and Salac alongside him and his nearest title rival three places further back. With just 5.5 points separating Gonzalez and Guevara, we’re in for a huge Sunday in the Moto2 Championship fight.
See the full results from Moto2 qualifying in Australia