Austin Moto3: Migno masters COTA for pole position

Andrea Migno powered through traffic on track to pull out the fastest single lap ahead of a dominant Dennis Foggia in qualifying for the Moto3 Americas Grand Prix in Austin.

Lisa Lewis

Updated: 06 Jan 2023

Andrea Migno, Moto3, Grand Prix of the Americas, 9 April

Andrea Migno made his final lap count as he put in the fastest lap right at the end of qualifying for the Moto3 Americas Grand Prix in Austin, beating Dennis Foggia to pole position.

The Rivacold Snipers rider contended with traffic but still managed to lower his time at a breezy, sunny Austin, producing a best of 2m 15.854s, with a then nervous wait as his Italian rival was still on a live lap.

A different strategy for Foggia as he hunts for first pole

The Leopard rider had a completely different strategy in mind to the rest of the field - staying out for seven consecutive laps as he chipped away at his time.

First hitting the top of the timesheets with a strong final sector to his lap, he then bettered it once more only for Migno to come and slide underneath his time by 0.067s.

He might not have secured pole but the man who is second in the championship remains one to watch on Sunday after he completed every lap solo with no need for a slipstream, displaying supreme pace ahead of the race.

Foggia, who had already indicated his pace earlier in the day when he topped FP3, ran out of fuel after his run and needed to be picked up on a circuit golf cart to return to the pits.

Andrea Migno, Dennis Foggia, Moto3, Grand Prix of the Americas, 9 April

Joining the duo on the front row is Xavier Artigas , who came through Q1 with the best lap in that session and made his track time count again to climb third after a late tyre change on the CFMoto Racing PruestelGP machine.

Dennis Oncu was looking to brush away any bad memories of his visit to Texas last season where his actions at the track lead to a two race ban. On the ropes after missing much of the morning session with a technical issue, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider bounced back with a much more mature performance for fourth.

Jaume Masia swapped time at the front with Ajo team-mate Daniel Holgado as they looked to find an advantage. That propelled the number 5 to fourth on the gird with his colleague claiming seventh.

Between them on the grid is rookie Diogo Moriera, who continued to impress for MT Helmets - MSI with the sixth best time at the tricky to master track.

Compatriots Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) will start eighth and ninth respectively.

Izan Guevara, who won the drama filled COTA raced last season, was just five thousandths slower than Sasaki in tenth and was the best of the Gaviota GAs Gas Aspar riders. Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) had enough in the tank for eleventh.

Scott Ogden impresses with Q2 performance after Q1 drama

Ogden was the best of the Brits as he claimed his best grid position in twelfth in just his second Q2 appearance, but his enormous upturn in qualifying performance started in Q1.

The VisionTrack rider had topped that session briefly and had another run at coming though to take first underway when he hit a huge group of slow riders on track.

Knuckling down and pushing through, a little time was lost but Ogden’s bravery saw him climb to second and all but guaranteed his progression to the second QP session, with it hard not to see penalties in the future for the slow bikes on track.

Scott Ogden, Moto3, Grand Prix of the Americas, 8 April

Next on the grid will be Elia Bartolini in 13th for QJMotor Avintia Racing Team.

Championship leader Sergio Garcia to start from 15th

Garcia had not been in receipt of the form which was seen him out front in the title hunt consistently since hitting the track in Texas.

Arriving having sat on pole in Argentina, which was converted to victory in the race thanks to a huge final move on rival Foggia, the teenager has been working with team-mate Guevara in a close session though it was not enough to lift either of them to the front of the grid with Garcia 1.3 seconds shy of Migno’s pole time.

John McPhee is still absent as he continues his recovery from injury. This race he is replaced by David Salvador (24th) at Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max Racing.

The replacement rider had been due to join the grid for the season before funding issues saw him replaced by Ana Carrasco at BOE SKX.

Alberto Surra out after FP3 crash

Alberto Surra will miss the Americas Grand Prix after being thrown from his bike in FP3 - a crash so huge it brought out the red flag.

The Rivacold Snipers rider was immediately declared conscious, but could not move from the track without medical help.

Despite that, after a trip to the medical centre for a check up the Italian was diagnosed with a possible right hand scaphoid fracture, enough to rule him out of the weekends proceedings.

Surra was well enough to sit in the garage and watch qualifying unfold.

Moto3 have a different place in the altered race schedule this weekend. The class will be back out on track for warm-up tomorrow at 10:10am local time (GMT -5) and will be the last bikes on track to race around the Circuit of the Americas when they line up on the grid at 14:30pm (GMT -5).