Moto3 Jerez: Suzuki speeds to pole with record lap
Tatsuki Suzuki pulled off the best ever lap around Jerez to claim pole position as the Moto3 championship resumed in Jerez.
After the long wait for the season restart the SIC58 Squadra Corse rider made it feel as if racing had never been away, as he placed himself behind a group of fast riders on his final run to get an edge and pull out an amazing 1m 15.465s lap.
Last time Suzuki was on pole was Misano last season, where he converted his qualifying success into a race win.
Behind the Japanese rider, the Sky Racing Team VR46 riders were running a different strategy to the rest of the class on their KTM’s. This allowed them to run out of sequence and pull each other along on a relatively clear track. Andrea Migno benefitted most as he climbed to second in the closing stages, 0.195 shy of the top time.
His teammate, 2019 top rookie Celestino Vietti, was not far behind him in fifth.
Their run saw British rider John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) forced to settle for third after moving into the top places in the group Suzuki was chasing as they hunted down Gabriel Rodrigo on track. The result continued his run of good form despite the break after claiming second place in Qatar last time out.
Raul Fernandez was a constant feature near the top of the timesheets and will lead off row two for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
He will be joined by Vietti and top rookie performer Jeremy Alcoba, the Kommerling Gresini rider impressed as he went straight into Q2 on his way to sixth.
Albert Arenas - championship leader following his Qatar win - lines up seventh for Gaviota Aspar. He sits ahead of the best of the Q1 graduates, with class veteran Romano Fenati filling eighth for Sterilgarda Max Racing Team.
Rodrigo had shown he had the speed to compete earlier in the weekend after setting the lap record broken by Suzuki in FP1, but couldn’t quite find the pace or the space when it counted, leaving him ninth on the second Gresini entry.
Tony Arbolino also used his Q1 track time to his advantage to complete the top ten on the grid come race day for the Rivacold Snipers Team.
Elsewhere Niccolo Antonelli had looked confident in Q1, sitting in the pits while his rivals scrambled for a time, but he too found going tough in the Jerez heat in Q2 and could only manage twelfth.
