Rookie Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made it back-to-back Moto2™ pole positions after beating Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) by 0.267s in qualifying at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley. MB Conveyors Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro completes the front row at Mugello, seeing World Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) demoted to P4.
Pole position for @25RaulFernandez! ????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) May 29, 2021
Back-to-back poles for the rookie! ????#Moto2 | #ItalianGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/0dXcUNkTfS
Raul Fernandez vs Lowes vs Gardner
It was a familiar trio at the top of the timesheets straight from the off in Moto2™ Q2 with Gardner leading the way in the early exchanges, before Lowes then took over at the top by two tenths. Rain was in the air but it – thankfully – wasn’t effecting the riders too much at Mugello, as we witnessed rookie sensation Raul Fernandez go three tenths faster than anyone else with six minutes to go.
Lowes cut Fernandez’s gap to 0.267s on his fifth lap, but as the clock ticked down, the field were finding it tricky to improve their times. One rider who was able to find some pace in the closing stages was Navarro though, his last flying lap saw the Spaniard rise onto the front row for the first time this season. Bad news for Gardner, this pushed the Australian down to Row 2.
Timing screens lighting up everywhere! ????#Moto2 | #ItalianGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/zehu4oTEMD
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) May 29, 2021
How the top 10 shapes up after Q2
Home hero Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) joins fourth place Gardner on the second row in P5, P6 goes the way of rookie Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP), that’s the Italian’s best Moto2™ qualifying result. His compatriot Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) spearheads Row 3 in P7, it looks as though the chatter problems are still causing Bezzecchi some issues, he’ll line up alongside Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP). Italtrans Racing Team’s Joe Roberts rounded out a top 10 split by 0.8s in Q2.
Make sure you don’t miss the Moto2™ race from the Italian GP at 12:20 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday.
Top 10:
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 1:50.723
2. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.267
3. Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) + 0.374
4. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.583
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) + 0.632
6. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.725
7. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.739
8. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) + 0.774
9. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.781
10. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) + 0.818