British Moto2: Pole position hands advantage to Fernandez as Vietti tumbles
Augusto Fernandez got his weekend off to a perfect start after securing pole position ahead of round twelve of the Moto2 championship, the British Grand Prix.
Currently tied on points, 146 each, and both with three wins so far this season, Celestino Vietti leads the way with the most second places to his name.
Augusto Fernandez spent the last few races before the break making his championship case - securing three wins and four podiums in the last four rounds, as Vietti faded.
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The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider backed up his back-to-back victories with pole, rising to the top of the timesheets as the Italian fell at Club Corner. Third at the time, his best lap slipped to fifth by the chequered flag.
The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider has even more time to make up after being handed a long lap penalty for not following practice start protocols in FP2, after not lining up for the start where he was asked to.
Back at the front of the grid it was Joe Roberts claiming second, just short of pole by a slim 0.034s. A small mistake in the final sector was all that stood between the Italtrans rider and the top slot.
Ai Ogura is just one point off the top in the title hunt and is well placed on the grid to make a move. A clear track attack - all the riders hunting for pole were gapped but within the same camera shot - saw him climb from sixth to third in the final minutes for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia.
Albert Arenas was second for much of the session on his way to an eventual fourth. He is joined on the second row by session fallers Vietti in fifth with Jake Dixon just behind.
Dixon ensured there was some home action to cheer despite his fall at The Loop. After topping both FP1 and FP3 he was once again riding high, and regrouped straight after his off to come back and claim sixth for Gas Gas Aspar after a determined, gritty performance.
Bo Bendsneyder’s early lap helped him to seventh for Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team, while Alonso Lopez was the best of the non-Kalex riders, taking eighth on the Boscocscuro for CAG Speed Up.
Marcel Schrotter was a steady ninth for Liqui Moly Inctact GP, with Flexbox HP40’s Aron Canet leaving it late to get a lap on the board, completing the top ten with his best effort.
Tony Arbolino lines up eleventh on the last remaining Elf Marc VDS entry. Jorge Navarro was the best of the riders to move up from Q1 in twelfth for Flexbox HP40, Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) went on to take 15th, Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was 16th, while Alessandro Zaccone (Gresini Racing) was 18th.
What happened in Q1?
Lorenzo Dalla Porta again showed a glimpse of the talent that lead him to the Moto3 crown back in 2019. Sitting in fourth he was displaced from the progression places by Somkiat Chantra.
Fermin Aldeguer (CAG Speed Up) spent much of the session being followed on his way to sixth in Q1, 20th on the grid.
Lining up 23rd, Marocs Ramirez is the top qualifying MV Agusta rider for Forward Racing.
Lowes out after Friday fall
Sam Lowes had used the summer break to hit reset and was looking to attack the second half of this season as if it was a new start to get the best results possible. The number #22 was hoping to have the pace to win his home grand prix.
His good intentions lasted just minutes as he was one of several riders caught out by conditions at the start of FP1, highsiding over the top of his Marc VDS bike at Chapel.
The British rider was sent to the medical centre for further checks which revealed a dislocation to his left shoulder, leaving him declared unfit to ride and out of the race weekend.
Gabriel Rodrigo remains absent and is replaced at Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team by Piotr Biesiekirski.
Pedro Acosta is also out after being declared unfit on Friday after checks on his left femur fracture.
Wildcard for Rory Skinner
BSB rider Rory Skinner has a rider this weekend with American Racing between British Superbike races.
The twenty year old is making his world championship debut . Skinner is currently fourth in the BSB standings and sat comfortably in the places for the showdown section of the season later in the year, with a second rider due for the Scotsman in Austria.
Making huge leaps in time in every session as he got to grips with his new Kalex machinery and the change in grip between Pirelli and Dunlop tyres, by the end of Q1 the Scottish rider was tenth in the session, for 24th on the grid, ahead of team-mate Sean Dylan Kelly and class veteran Simone Corsi among others. His time was just 1.267s slower than Navarro’s best.
