Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) repeated his Qatar GP qualifying heroics to earn a magnificent second Moto2™ pole position of 2020. After a tough couple of races in Jerez, the American was able to edge out Free Practice pacesetter Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) at the Monster Energy Czech Republic Grand Prix, with Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) lining up on the outside of the front row in P3.
Roberts set his 2:01.692 fastest lap on his third flying lap in Q2 to displace Bastianini from provisional pole, with almost the entire Q2 grid setting their best times on their first two flying laps. Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez took their time to get their first laps of qualifying in, but when they did, Lowes went straight to P2 behind Roberts – Fernandez, leading Lowes on the road, went P8.
The gap between the top two sat at just over a tenth but with track conditions not getting any better, the riders – including Lowes – were struggling to find any personal best times. And sure enough, no one was able to trouble the pole time which meant Roberts will start the Moto2™ Czech GP from pole, his second of the season. Lowes has been superior all weekend and will launch from his third consecutive front two in the intermediate class, something he hasn’t done since 2016. The leading trio were in a bit of a league of their own in qualifying with Spanish GP winner Bastianini 0.189 off in P3, he has his eyes firmly set on a second consecutive race win but can he beat the two men in front of him?
It's a second-ever pole position for @Joerobertsracer! ????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) August 8, 2020
The demons and struggles of Jerez have well and truly been done away with! ????#CzechGP ???????? | #Moto2 pic.twitter.com/P7vTQ5kN2i
Fourth place went the way of Hafizh Syahrin (Openbank Aspar Team) who will launch from his best grid slot of 2020. His previous best was at the Spanish GP in P15 so the Malaysian will be hoping he can mix it in the podium scrap, and he’ll be aiming to hold off Andalucia GP podium finisher Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) on Row 2. Both Bezzecchi and teammate Luca Marini were frustrated figures in Q2 as a handful of riders seemed to dawdle looking for tows, but the Italian’s first flying lap was enough to earn him P5 for Sunday’s race. Jorge Martin was the sole Red Bull KTM Ajo rider in Q2 after Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima failed to make it through Q1, and the Spaniard will be starting P6 as he aims to close the gap to his teammate in the title scrap.
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) equals his best Saturday afternoon result of the season with a P7 finish, the German sitting 0.020 ahead of Fernandez with Q1’s fastest man Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) completing Row 9 – his best qualifying of the year. Rounding out the top 10 is the man lying second in the Championship – Marini. Eight-tenths off Roberts’ time isn’t where the Italian would have wanted to be, and he’s got work on his hands with Bastianini starting on the front row.
#Moto2 or #Moto3? ????♂
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) August 8, 2020
Turn 13 turns into a car park as the riders wait for clear track! ????#CzechGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/6uK4ew6w2D
Aforementioned, Nagashima had another disappointing qualifying. After starting 15th in Andalucia, the Japanese rider will be launching from P21 in Brno and will be needing to produce some heroics if he’s going to want to keep that Championship P1.
The Moto2™ race begins at 12:20 local time (GMT+2) at the Czech GP, tune in!
Top 10:
1. Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) – 2:01.692
2. Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) + 0.130
3. Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) + 0.189
4. Hafizh Syahrin (Openbank Aspar Team) + 0.453
5. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.486
6. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.597
7. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.653
8. Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) + 0.673
9. Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) + 0.684
10. Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.802
Click here for the full results!