Moto2 Valencia: Navarro takes home pole in style
Jorge Navarro needed to set the fastest ever lap of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to claim pole position for the Moto2 Valencia Grand Prix.
Clearly pushing his MB Conveyors Speed Up to the limit Navarro will sit at the head of a front row of mixed manufacturers after his blistering best of 1m 34.461s remained unbeaten after the final flying laps were completed.
Jorge Martin was the best of the KTM riders after seeing his Red Bull team-mate Brad Binder dominate practice but was on fire in qualifying to finish just 0.017s behind the pole time.
Stefano Manzi completed the mix by repeatedly bouncing back with a better time to take third - a first front row appearance in Moto2 for both the MV Agusta Team and rider.
Luca Marini was the best of the Kalex riders in fourth for Sky Racing Team VR46, with Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) climbing from seventh to fifth on his final run to line up next to him on the grid.
The battle to be top rookie is far from being decided with Fabio Di Giannantonio just six points ahead of Enea Bastianini in the championship standings. The Speed Up rider also holds the advantage on track - he sits in sixth despite a fall in Q2 while his compatriot will start behind him in ninth for Italtrans after coming through Q1.
After his electric practice pace had been enough to set a new record before it was bettered by Navarro in qualifying Brad Binder came up short when it mattered most - his advantage in the final sector was missing, that left him a still respectable seventh on the second Red Bull KTM Ajo entry.
Augusto Fernandez was the best of the Pons team-mates - he starts eighth for Flexbox HP40.
Sam Lowes rallied to break the top ten after a slow start for Gresini.
New Moto2 champion Alex Marquez had an incredibly quiet session, never really in the mix for pole, he starts 15th.
Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) made it through to Q2 with Jake Dixon (Inde Angel Nieto Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) The German will fill 16th, Dixon 17th, while a crash right at the end of Q1 ruined Bulega’s chances of improvement, leaving him 18th.
Lorenzo Baldassarri, winner of three of the four opening rounds, failed to make it out of Q1 - the Flexbox HP40 rider starts 20th.
Tetsuta Nagashima, who was a front row starter last time out in Sepang also failed to advance, he is one place further back in 21st for the SAG Team.
American Sean Dylan Kelly replaces Iker Lecuona at American Racing KTM as he enjoys a run in MotoGP - his lap was good enough for 27th in his first appearance in the class.
Tommaso Marcon replaces Jesko Raffin at NTS RW Racing so he can concentrate his efforts on MotoE for the weekend. The Italian will sit in 28th.
