Moto3 Valencia: Migno secures maiden pole position
Andrea Migno will start the final race of the 2019 season from the top spot on the grid after taking pole position ahead of the Moto3 Valencia Grand Prix.
The Mugen Race rider put in a special performance to dominate the session ahead of the final race for the team, with his best of 1m 38.683s holding strong to the end of the session.
He will be joined on the front row by his teammate Jaume Masia who set the third best time in qualifying.
The KTM pair are split by Sepang polesitter Marcos Ramirez who, after being fastest following the free practice sessions, lead a chain of Leopard Racing Hondas over the line, just 0.274s slower than the pole lap.
Aron Canet cut a frustrated figure after leaving his Sterilgarda Max Racing Team garage late and last - but he made up for it on track - powering up to fourth from thirteenth on his final flying lap.
The Spaniard is joined on row two by Sergio Garcia, the best of the Estrella Galicia riders and Filip Salac (Redox PruestelGP) who put in his best ever qualifying performance to claim sixth.
Newly crowned world champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta will line up seventh on the second Leopard, with Tatsuki Suzuki alongside in eighth for Sic58 Squadra Corse after coming through Q1.
Darryn Binder also moved up from the first qualifying session to claim ninth for CIP Green Power.
Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers) thanked Canet for the huge tow that pulled him up to a top ten start as the chequered flag waved.
Both wildcards impressed by being present in Q2 - Carlos Tatay (Fundacion Andreas Perez 77) finished highest, moving through Q1 with the second best time, he used his track experience to be able to put in a string of strong solo laps for eleventh. Xavier Artigas (Leopard Impala Junior Team) enjoyed running around on track with the other Leopard bikes and starts 17th.
A fall left Tony Arbolino unable to defend his front row time, declared fit to race by the medical staff he will be back to fight on Sunday from twelfth for VNE Snipers.
John McPhee will begin the final race of the season from 13th for Petronas Sprinta Racing, a little too far off the pace in a close qualifying.
Thailand race winner Albert Arenas was shuffled out of the Q2 places in the final seconds of Q1, unable to respond as he found himself swamped in traffic during a final rush of flying laps, leaving him 20th.
Jeremy Alcoba went faster than Arenas on his final run, he sits in 19th for his replacement ride, in for the injured Gabriel Rodrigo at Gresini.
The battle to be top rookie will start from further down the grid than usual with Celestino Vietti, who currently holds a 24 point advantage, and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) both struggling in qualifying. Ogura will have a slight edge from 25th, with Sky Racing Team VR46’s Vietti an even more distant 28th.
2018 race winner Can Oncu had another fall, this time at turn 14, he starts 27th for Red Bull KTM Ajo. Kazuki Masaki also had a Q1 spill, he lines up last.
Tom Booth-Amos could be heading into his last grand prix in the class, he starts just ahead from 30th for CIP Green Power.
