Marc VDS’ Sam Lowes had a stellar qualifying in front of the home crowds, and almost ended Saturday celebrating a Silverstone pole before settling for a BritishGP front row start.

Lowes secured his best ever, and at one point record-breaking, lap around the UK venue with a 2’04.069, missing out on the accolade by a mere eighth-hundredths as Marco Bezzecchi claimed the spoils.

It would have seen the Brit head his home Grand Prix grid for the third time, but instead the 30-year-old will launch from third position ahead of tomorrow’s 18-lap race, for his seventh front row start of 2021.

“I’ve got to be happy because that’s my best Moto2 lap ever here and I know I gave it my all,” Lowes said from the paddock on Saturday afternoon.

“Pole position at Silverstone would have been fantastic, but I did a really good lap, completely alone at the start, no one around me, so I can be really happy with my pace for tomorrow.

“It would have been brilliant to take another pole position but I’m still happy to be on the front row,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to a good race now. I feel we’ve had good pace all weekend and I’m ready. I expect a lot of guys to be fast and in the lead group, but I know I will be in the fight at the front.

“I will race the hard tyre which I was real fast with, I still did 2'04's this morning on like 10/11 laps,  I think other guys as well, but we are in a good, good place. The second run, I didn't feel good, I made a couple of mistakes. Maybe I couldn't have improved, I was really happy with my lap time 2'04.0 in this track is my best by a good step, so I'm happy with that.

“We've done a good job this weekend. It’s really fantastic to have a British Grand Prix, see the fans, feel the support and all I can do is promise I'll give everything tomorrow to send them home happy tomorrow with a positive result.”