Moto3: Navarro takes first pole with new record
Jorge Navarro secured his first Moto3 pole position in style ahead of the British round of the lightweight championship at Silverstone.
The Estrella Galicia 0,0 rookie immediately took to the track despite it being unfamiliar and set the first of the competitive laps to top the timesheets early in the session before returning to dip under the flag with a stunning 2m 12.440, to take the record away from Danny Kent who had broken Rins' original best time from last season just seconds earlier.
The final record breaking lap by Navarro on the Honda looked more like a race as he pulled around Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Karel Hanika.
Hanika took full benefit from the line and tow received, the Czech rider doing enough to pull him up to second on the grid from a provisional eleventh.
The front row is completed by another Honda, with Kent's lap which was also under the old record strong enough for third despite spending much of his time in his box after setting a fast time to conserve tyres after the events of Brno.
The Leopard rider was happy to be ahead of his main title rival Enea Bastianini on the grid especially after a tricky start to the weekend for the championship leader.
Kent missed most of the first practice session with bike issues after an oil seal failed leaving him almost a whole session of practice down on his rivals. He also arrives with added pressure at home arriving as the first British rider to lead the championship in the lightweight class ahead of his home grand prix since Dave Simmonds who went on to take the 1969 title.
There is plenty of chance to shine on race day as none of the current riders having won in the Moto3 class at Silverstone.
Efren Vazquez will be aiming for a strong start from row two to get into contention from fourth, qualifying just behind his team-mate for Leopard after lapping in a group with Bastianini and Brad Binder.
Isaac Vinales keeps his place at RBA Racing despite Ana Carrasco returning from injury, at Niklas Ajo's expense. He rewards the team keeping faith with him with fifth place start.
Alexis Masbou will be relieved with sixth on the grid after SaxoPrint-RTG's troubles over recent rounds, with his team-mate John McPhee no too far behind him in twelfth ahead of his home race.
Row three sees Gresini's Bastianini line up seventh after struggling early in the session for pace.
HE is joined by previous race winners Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46) in eighth and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ninth. His team-mate Binder completed the top ten best times.
Navarro's team-mate Fabio Quartararo just missed out on a top ten start, having to settle for eleventh at the close, with Maria Herrera having her second best qualifying in her rookie season in 14th.
Brno race winner Niccolo Antonelli demonstrated the ups and downs of Moto3 by qualifying down in 18th after his choice of a harder set-up left him off the pace.
Moto3 sees two British wild-cards in their first grand prix races with Luke Hedger (FPW Racing) and Taz Taylor (RS Racing) joining the regular riders. Taylor starts 35th and Hedger 36th.
