Moto2 Silverstone: Marquez picks up the pace for pole position
Alex Marquez found a burst of pace as the last of the fast laps came to a close to finish the Moto2 British Grand Prix qualifying in pole position.
With a long lap at Silverstone all the riders elected to have less tyre changes and stay out on track, but it was Alex Marquez who had already found his limits and pushed his EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex to a best of 2m 04.734 - as with the other classes, a new record.
It is the third pole of the season for Marquez who will be looking to extend his title lead from the front - main rival Tom Luthi spilled from his Dynavolt Intact GP machine as the chequered flag waved, right in front of Marquez under pressure- leaving him unable to improve on his 12th place grid position.
Jorge Navarro had laid down the early benchmark in the session and looked to be the man to beat on the Speed Up after originally showing record pace in practice. He was forced to settle for second but was just 0.043s slower than his compatriot.
The final front row spot went to Augusto Fernandez as he continued to shine for Flexbox HP40.
Remy Gardner was once again in the mix but leads off row two from fourth for SAG Team.
He is joined by Xavi Vierge on the second Marc VDS entry in fifth and Luca Marini who climbed up to sixth for Sky Racing Team VR46.
Tetsuta Nagashima (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), who started the last race in Austria from pole, will be seventh on the grid this time ahead of Brad Binder, the best of the riders to progress from Q1 in eighth for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Sam Lowes gained slightly in the closing stages, never giving up on the Gresini ahead of his home grand prix on his way to eighth, just 0.542s off of pole in a tight session.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was the top rookie, completing the top ten for Speed Up.
Marcel Schrotter has been unusually off the pace all weekend, he qualified one place behind his Dynavolt team-mate Luthi in 13th.
Jake Dixon (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) will sit in 23rd after finishing Q1 ninth. Fellow Brit Bradley Smith returns to Moto2 to step in for the Injured Khairul Idham Pawi at Petronas, he starts 25th.
Teppei Nagoe is also a replacement rider again this weekend, once again in for Dimas Ekky Pratama at Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, he will line up on the grid in 29th.
Xavi Cardelus and Joe Roberts had a tangle at the start of Q1, which was placed under investigation, it saw them place 30th and 31st with little track time.
Enea Bastianini (Italtrans) was forced to miss the weekend, the pain he was experiencing in his foot was too much to allow him to compete.
