Suzuki holds on to Qatar Moto3 pole after missing final run
Full Qatar Moto3 qualifying results
Tatsuki Suzuki has secured pole position for the 2020 Moto3 world championship opener in Qatar by just 0.008s despite missing his final qualifying run.
Fastest rider from practice Raul Fernandez came close to taking top spot off provisional pole-sitter Suzuki with his final lap effort but narrowly missed out to the Sic58 Squadra Corse rider, who had to sit and sweat after losing his final run in Q2 due to delays in fixing his bike seat unit.
But with the problem not proving costly for Suzuki, the Japanese rider celebrates his second career pole position following up his maiden pole at the 2019 San Marino Moto3 round where he went on to win the race at Misano.
Like Suzuki, Albert Arenas recovered by progressing through Q1 to complete the third row just behind Fernandez on the Red Bull KTM Ajo, as the Aspar rider equalled his career best qualifying result with third place.
Arenas pushed Darryn Binder off the front row and into fourth place on the CIP Green Power bike, with Ai Ogura taking the middle of the second row for Honda Team Asia. With Jaume Masia in sixth place for Leopard Racing, Andrea Migno heads up row three for Sky Racing VR46.
Deniz Oncu impressed for Red Bull KTM Tech3 to take eighth place in qualifying ahead of experienced hand John McPhee in ninth place for Petronas Sprinta Racing.
Tony Arbolino struggled to live up to expectations in 10th place for Rivacold Snipers Team but he did keep ahead of another Q1 graduate in Jeremy Alcoba on the Kommerling Gresini. 2019 Qatar Moto3 race-winner Kaito Toba completes row four on his Red Bull KTM Ajo debut.
Alonso Lopez, who qualified down in 25th place, could be in trouble with the race officials after angrily confronting Suzuki after the chequered flag at the end of Q1, with the Sterilgarda Max Racing rider feeling the Japanese rider held him up during his fast lap.
