Tony Arbolino smashed Danny Kent’s previous Moto3 circuit record at Mugello to claim the third pole position of his Moto3 career.

In a strange qualifying session which saw some of the front runners including John McPhee leave it late to post just one qualifying lap, Arbolino left it late to smash the lap record on his only flying lap.

With the clock expired, Arbolino was sat behind Jauma Masia and hooked his Snipers bike up perfectly to take the pole position by 0.673 with a stunning 1:56.407.

Gabi Rodrigo and Lorenzo Dalla Porta will join the Italian on the front row after late laps of their own. Q1 graduate Andrea Migno will head off the second row in fourth place, with SIC58 duo Tatsuki Suzuki and Nico Antonelli due to join Migno on row two. However, both were seen exiting pit lane before the green light was shown, leaving both sweating out a potential pentalty.

Moto3 bad boy Romano Fenati will start from seventh with Kaito Toba and Marcos Ramirez joining him on row three. World Championship leader Aron Canet had to settle for tenth place with Alonso Lopez and Jaume Masia in eleventh and twelfth respectively.

McPhee will start from eighteenth after issues in executing his qualifying strategy, leaving the French Grand Prix winner with work to do come race day.