Moto3 Argentina: First pole for Arbolino as rain stops play
Tony Arbolino mastered the tricky showery conditions to land his first pole position in qualifying for Moto3 Grand Prix in Argentina.
Starting on a wet track, the riders soon sped up after an early change to slick tyres, but it was the 17 year-old Marinelli Snipers Team rider who has just posted his lap of 1m 53.782s as the rain returned. With those on track instantly losing seven seconds,it was enough to guarantee the Italian pole with ten minutes left to run.
The performance, following on from a top five practice showing on Friday, was Arbolino’s best ever in qualifying having previously enjoyed a high of fourth on the grid.
The sole Honda on the front row, he is joined by Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruesteGP) another rider posting his best ever qualifying result - just 0.306s off the lead time, and home hopeful Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) with the KTM pair second and third.
Adam Norrodin looked confident in the damp conditions and had advice in his pit box from wet weather success story and fellow Malaysian Hafizh Syahrin, all of which helped the Petronas Sprinta Racing rider to a best ever grid placement of fourth.
Enea Bastianini had lead the way in practice but had to settle for fifth for Leopard, with Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio completing row two in sixth.
Qatar’s pole man Nico Antonelli starts from seventh for SIC58 Squadra Corse, ahead of title hopeful Aron Canet who starts eighth for Estrella Galicia.
Championship leader after his Qatar win, Jorge Martin had a frustrating session, which began with leaving the pits minus his Del Conca Gresini’s bellypan and ended in ninth as his final run stated as the rain returned.
Andrea Migno completes the top ten for Angel Nieto Team Moto3 despite a fall.
Jaume Masia was the best qualifying of the rookie riders in eleventh for Bester Capital Dubai, with Albert Arenas also impressing just behind in 12th (Angel Nieto Team) after breaking his collarbone in Qatar and missing the race. Tatsuki Suzuki, who also picked up an injury in Qatar when he broke his arm managed 19th on the grid.
British rider Jon McPhee was on pole at Termas De Rio Hondo last season but today found himself down in 22nd for CIP-Green Power.
