2024 San Marino Moto2 Grand Prix - Qualifying Results

The closing stages of qualifying brought an all Italian race for pole position over the line, with Tony Arbolino just getting the better of Celestino Vietti to take top spot on the grid ahead of round thirteen, the Moto2 San Marino Grand Prix.

Despite being runner up in Moto2, the Elf Marc VDS rider had not secured a pole before in the intermediate class. With two minutes to go the Italian was tucked in behind his fellow countryman, Vietti, who registered the number one time briefly as the duo reached the line.

The #14 got the advantage of being behind and immediately took over, moving from third to pole with a lap of 1m 35.229s. Late yellow flags ensured the lap remained unbeaten.

Vietti was just 0.011s slower ahead of his home race for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

• 2024 San Marino MotoGP, Misano - Full Qualifying Results
• 2024 San Marino MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia takes pole, Marc Marquez ninth after crash

Ai Ogura has worked hard to come back from a slow start to the weekend, and saved his best until last. One of the last riders over the line in the next group to finish, just ahead of the chequered flag, the MT Helmets- MSI rider moved up from fifth to third, preventing an all Kalex front row aboard the Boscoscuro.

Aron Canet picked up where he left off in P2 after finishing Friday ahead. Back out in the morning, the Fantic Racing rider was ready to pick up the pace, still looking close to the limit as he dropped the lap record to 1m 35.185s.

The track conditions by qualifying were far less optimum and the Fantic Racing rider returned to his more ragged style as the #44 rode close to the limit, attempting to make up the difference. Ogura’s lap pushed Canet back to fourth as the clock hit zero.

Rookie Diogo Moreira again impressed in qualifying, and was leading the way before the final rush of flying laps dropped him to fifth for Italtrans.

Albert Arenas completed a solid weekend, where he has always featured near the front without challenging the very top of the timesheets. Sixth on the grid, the Spaniard spent the closing moments helping his teammate at QJMotor Gresini set a lap after Manuel Gonzalez had fallen early in the session, elevating him to ninth.

American Racing’s Joe Roberts turned his weekend around after flirting with the wrong end of the top twenty on Friday. Improvements for team and rider saw him rise to seventh as he chased Alonso Lopez around the track as a marker.

Lopez had needed to make his way through Q1, moving up with the best time on his way to eighth for Beta Tools Speed Up ahead of the team’s home round.

Fermin Aldeguer cut a frustrated figure as it took everything he had to move into the top ten on the second speed up entry.

Deniz Oncu used the morning practice to save his weekend, just scraping into Q2 in 14th place, he went on to take the same position on the grid for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Aragon polesitter and winner, Jake Dixon does not favour the San Marino track and it showed in his qualifying, making the best of it the Inde Aspar rider will start 14th, with championship leader Sergio Garcia even further down the grid after another nightmare round.

Q1-  Woes continue for Garcia in 24th

Sergio Garcia got off on the wrong foot after a crash on Friday saw his Misano weekend echo his start to Aragon, finishing the day one action in 24th.

A series of cancelled laps for a mix of track limits and yellow flags saw the championship leader in Q1, as his MT Helmets - MSI rider failed to find a lap to make the required leap, just missing out in 15th.

From there he was overcompensating and pushing past the limit, and although there were no further falls the MT Helmets rider struggled to keep inside track limits. The #3 could only manage the tenth best time in Q1, with yellow flags also playing a part again, leaving the title leader in 24th on the grid, only slightly improving on his Aragon qualifying disaster.

Lopez topped Q1 in a field of riders capable of progress. He was joined in Q2 by Bo Bendsneyder (15th), Senna Agius (16th) and Filip Salac (11th).

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Gonzalez recovered from his Q2 fall, but Dennis Foggia failed to get back out and set a time , leaving him 18th.

A fall at the start of Q1 at Rio dented Zonta van den Goorbergh’s hopes of moving on. The rider from the Netherlands bounced back, only to be shuffled out by compatriot Bendsneyder. Fifth in the session sees the RW - Idrofoglia Racing GP rider line up 19th on Sunday.

Wildcard Matteo Pasini was ninth in the first qualifying session for a 23rd place start.

Alex Escrig’s replacement at Klint Forward Racing, Unai Orradre, was back in action after missing all of the morning P2 session. The class newcomer was involved in a pitlane incident, which saw, through no fault of his own, his bike needing to avoid a collision and end up in the Aprilia MotoGP garage. All avoided injury and the débutante returned to qualify 30th.