Autosolar GasGas Aspar’s Izan Guevara claimed his fourth Moto3 pole position of 2022 with a 1’57.868 lap of Motorland Aragon on Saturday.
The championship leader continued his charge by holding off Austria winner Ayumu Sasaki and Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie Daniel Holgado in the top three, for the rookie’s fifth front row start.
Lightweight qualifying got underway without Alberto Surra after the Rivacold Snipers rider suffered a fractured left wrist following a morning FP3 crash. Avintia’s Elia Bartolini beginning his Q1 action from the ground after a massive highside at turn 17 on his opening lap.
CFMoto’s Carlos Tatay was the first to set a competitive lap time as the session fired up. Lorenzo Fellon trailing his SIC58 teammate Ricardo Rossi in the top three as the Frenchman’s future was confirmed by a move to CIP Green Power in 2023. Rivacold’s Andrea Migno completed the promotion zone at the halfway stage with VisionTrack’s Scott Ogden narrowly adrift, by half a tenth, in fifth with Josh Whatley three places behind in eighth.
BOE’s David Muñoz and CIP’s Joel Kelso proved the rookie might was still on display as they claimed second and fourth respectively. The second Green Power machine of Kaito Toba circulating fifth ahead of Fellon, Migno and MT Helmets’ Ryusei Yamanaka.
Toba demoted his teammate next time around as the final minute counted down. The Australian unable to fight back as Migno then Taiyo Furusato staked their claims on the final promotion place with the Honda rider securing the spoils at the flag.
Q2 found John McPhee at the top of the times as the final 15-minutes began. The Sterilgarda rider setting a 1’58.296 until Leopard’s Tatsuki Suzuki bettered with teammate Dennis Foggia claiming third - the Italian’s 2023 replacement announced as the session began with Jaume Masia departing the Red Bull Ajo outfit in favour of a return to his 2020 squad.
The tag-team action continued as Sasaki beat the trio with his own effort on the second Husqvarna before Holgado stole the show with a 1’58.037. The Japanese rider refining his time into the 1’57’s before class leader Guevara set his sights on provisional pole with a 1’57.868.
A technical issue for Deniz Öncü derailed the Turkish rider’s progress as the clock counted down. The bike recovered back to the pits but struggling to restart until the penultimate minute. The number 53 unfortunate to miss out on a hot lap after meeting the chequered flag a fraction too late as he dropped to 13th.
A late move for Masia found the KTM rider in eighth and in an MTA sandwich with Ivan Ortola and Stefano Nepa either side on row three. Guevara maintaining his first pole start since the Sachsenring with Sasaki and Holgado completing the front row celebrations as McPhee split the Leopard duo on row two.
