Moto3 Misano: Ogura claims first pole position
Ai Ogura took his first world championship pole in style as he found speed in a congested run to the line to top qualifying for the Moto3 San Marino Grand Prix.
The Honda Team Asia rider was able to drop his sector times despite a race-like end to qualifying to claim his first pole position with a time of 1m 42.403s.
Kommerling Gresini’s Gabriel Rodrigo was on pole in Styria but this time had to settle for second, just 0.016s off the best time after being displaced from the top slot as the Japanese rider powered over the line.
Tatsuki Suzuki completed a pole to win conversion in 2019, this time around he starts third on an all Honda front row after a strong showing in the latter stages of qualifying for SIC58 Squadra Corse at the team’s home track.
Fourth went to Sky Racing Team VR46 rider Andrea Migno. The Italian ran well solo and looked to be on for more before seeing his final flying lap cancelled. He is the top KTM qualifier.
Romano Fenati looked to have found his form and adjusted to his Husqvarna as he climbed to fifth for Sterilgarda Max Racing after coming through Q1.
Raul Fernandez had no banker time under his belt, so had to put everything into his final run - the Red Bull KTM Ajo hit traffic so starts from sixth on Sunday.
Celestino Vietti dropped to seventh on the second Sky Racing entry. He is joined on row three by Jeremy Alcoba, the top rookie on the second Gresini bike in eighth.
Tony Arbolino was a podium finisher not just in Styria, but also at San Marino last season. This year he started his Misano journey by graduating from Q1, with a lap good enough for seventh in FP3. He was slower in Q2 and will sit in ninth for Rivacold Snipers.
His teammate Filip Salac completes the top ten.
Championship leader Albert Arenas (Pull & Bear Aspar Moto3) went out early in the session then returned to the pits. This made his final run an all-or-nothing affair - he was seventh on his first lap out but then ran wide after crossing the finish line. The Spaniard dropped to 13th as his rivals took the chequered flag.
It was also a day to forget for John McPhee. The Petronas Sprinta Racing rider arrived for qualifying in great form having topped FP3 earlier in the day. An early fall saw McPhee miss part of the session sat in the pits. He returned but could only manage a time good enough for 17th.
Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing) was the only other faller, he starts 18th.
Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power) was momentarily through to Q2 but then shuffled out in the frantic final seconds of the first half of qualifying, having been slightly held up on his best lap by Kaito Toba.
The South African will line up 19th after just missing out, ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3).
Kharul Idham Pawi (Petronas Sprinta Racing) will be 24th on the grid in his first appearance following amputation surgery on his damaged finger.
