Red Bull KTM’s championship rivals set lap record pace as they battled for Moto2 pole at portimao on Saturday afternoon.
Raul Fernandez defeated Remy Gardner for grid domination with a 1’42.101 effort ahead of Sunday’s 23-lap contest. Fabio Di Giannantonio claiming the final front row place after fighting for promotion. A quiet qualifying for Sam Lowes found the Brit in eighth while a Q1 crash denied Jake Dixon further progress.
Saturday’s final Algarve qualifying began with an issue for Fermín Aldeguer as the Speed Up rider sat on the side of the track. Marcel Schrotter taking charge in the standings for the early action before the second hot laps came in.
Hafizh Syahrin sat fastest on the NTS rider’s return to competition after a brief spell at home due to family illness from Somkiat Chantra, Di Giannantonio and Joe Roberts before Schrotter claimed the top once more.
The American was down in the dust in the final sector as Robert crashed out at turn 14, the Italtrans man up immediately but checking his recently broken collarbone.
Marcos Ramirez sat third in the aftermath as Dixon rose to seventh before advancing one place higher next time around. Di Giannantonio setting a 1’42.816 to take the lead from Ramirez, two-tenths back.
Further drama found Dixon down at turn five at the start of his own personal best, the Brit unable to restart his Petronas SRT and out of qualifying but with little to challenge in the final minute he faces a 20th place start on Sunday.
Fernandez kicked off Q2 with a new lap record - 1’42.394 - on his opening flying lap with Augusto Fernandez sitting second, 0.222s back. Marco Bezzecchi claimed third in the opening run from Jorge Navarro and Lowes with recently promoted Di Giannantonio sixth.
Opposing fortunes found Gardner at the back of the field and back in the garage at the halfway stage as Aron Canet tracked the leading KTM on his way into the top two. Lowes joined the second Marc VDS machine to sit third and fourth before Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi separated the pair.
The Gresini rider continued his climb as Diggia dug in for second, Canet crashing out as Fernandez increased the overall pace once again with a 1’42.101. Gardner rose to eighth as the session would down before joining his title rival on the front row in the final minute.
An impressive late effort from Cameron Beaubier moved the American to sixth with Bezzecchi and Lowes behind him in seventh and eighth.
