Fermin Aldeguer continued with his impressive run of recent form as he claimed his second successive pole position in qualifying for the Thailand Moto2.

The SpeedUp Racing rider was the dominant force in the dry at Phillip Island last weekend, though Sunday’s wet weather would ultimately count against him even if he was able to notch up a third podium of the year.

With no rain forecast in Buriram this weekend, Alderguer made hay while the sun was shining to once again put himself in pole position at the Chang International Circuit.

His efforts were enough to deny Pedro Acosta, the Moto2 leader having established himself as the rider to beat in the run up to qualifying.

However, it was his countryman that would come out on top with a 1m 35.371secs lap, an impressive two tenths quicker than Acosta, who was forced to settle for second place.

On an all-Spanish front row, Albert Arenas consolidated Red Bull KTM Ajo’s strong day with his run to third on the grid, ahead of another Spaniard in Aron Canet on the Pons Wegow bike.

Local hero Somkiat Chantra put himself in a potentially good position for a victory challenge in fifth place, while Marcos Ramirez continued his fine form from practice to give American Racing its best starting position of the season in sixth.

On the weekend when Acosta could be crowned champion if he out-scores Tony Arbolino by 19 points, the odds looked good this morning when the Italian threw his Marc VDS machine down the road in P3, forcing him into Q1.

However, Arbolino bounced back in qualifying to make it through the first phase before going on to qualify in eighth place. 

Of the Brits, Jake Dixon will start ninth, with Sam Lowes in 14th and Rory Skinner 30th and last on the second of the American Racing Kalex bikes.