Moto2 Americas: Marquez takes control for pole
Alex Marquez lead the way for most of the session and returned to track when his timesheet topping time was challenged to ease back in front and take back pole position ahead of round three of the Moto2 championship in Austin, Texas.
The EG0,0 Marc VDS rider looked to have plenty of pace ahead of the race and managed the track bums and undulations with no issues on his way to his best lap of 2m 10.588s, which gave him his second pole of the season.
The Kalex riding Spaniard had been sitting pretty at the top of the timing screens for much of the session when Sam Lowes staked his claim for pole, with Marquez returning to track and fighting back to take back the top spot in qualifying.
Lowes’ lap was enough to hand him second on the grid, just 0.156s slower than Marquez’s best for his Swiss Innovative Investors KTM Team despite saying he had some issues with the bike that needed attention over the 45 minutes.
Championship leader and winner of the last race in Argentina Mattia Pasini was happy enough with his front row start in third, giving a thumbs up from his Italtrans Kalex after the chequered flag in celebration.
Francesco Bagnaia won the first round and after a lacklustre Argentina will have hopes of a podium finish again after qualifying in fourth for Sky Racing Team VR46.
Joan Mir continues to look immediately at home in Moto2, as after some strong race performances he was today top rookie with his best qualifying performance since moving up to the intermediate class claiming an impressive fifth on the grid on the second of the Marc VDS bikes.
Luca Marini found some extra pace late on improving ten places to jump up to sixth for Sky Racing Team VR46.
Xavi Vierge started on pole in Argentina but could not quite recreate the same magic,and will line up seventh tomorrow after a solid performance for Dynavolt Intact GP, one place ahead of his team-mate Marcel Schrotter in a session tight on times with the top sixteen all within a second of the pole lap.
Ninth went to Fabio Quartararo with Speed Up, Isaac Vinales completed the top ten for SAG Team, but could have qualified higher had he not run out wide on his best lap, leading to it being cancelled.
The Red Bull KTM Ajo outfit were surprisingly off the pace, with Miguel Oliveira their best rider in twelfth while Brad Binder was sixteenth.
Danny Kent could only manage 22nd after a front row start last time out for Speed Up.
Joe Roberts, the sole American on home soil, did his best with the RW racing NTS machine to qualify in 27th.
