Moto3: Fernandez takes sixth pole of 2020 as Arbolino misses Q2 in Portugal

Qualifying for the final round of the 2020 Moto3 World Championship took place in Portimao for the inaugural visit of the motorcycle Grand Prix to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Jaume Masia was fastest in the combined practice times ahead of championship leader Albert Arenas.

In Q1, it would be crucial for Ai Ogura and Tony Arbolino to advance to Q2 as their respective championship hopes hung precariously in the balance. Both of them left it late, and for Ogura it worked, the Japanese rider finishing third in the session to move through to Q2. Joining the #79 in advancing were Darryn Binder and the SIC 58 Squadra Corse duo of Tatsuki Suzuki and Niccolo Antonelli. 

There was no rush at the start of Q2, and there was over one minute between the light turning green at the end of pit lane signalling the start of the session and the first bikes venturing out on track. 

Ironically, by the end of the session, there were 10 riders, including Arenas, who missed the flag and ventured onto what they thought were their final flying laps without knowing that in fact they would not count. 

Raul Fernandez, on the other hand, had timed his hot lap perfectly, as usual, and qualified on pole for the sixth time this season. In 2020, the #25 has been undoubtedly the pole position king in Moto3 and in this, his final qualifying session in the lightweight class before he moves up to Moto2 in place of Tetsuta Nagashima in the Red Bull Ajo squad, he reaffirmed that. 

Joining Fernandez on the front row tomorrow will be Jeremy Alcoba and Ayumu Sasaki, as both look to end their impressive seasons on the rostrum.

On row two will be Tatsuki Suzuki, and the top two in the championship: Ai Ogura in fifth and Albert Arenas in sixth. With Tony Arbolino missing out on Q2 it is very possible that the championship could be decided between Ogura and Arenas tomorrow, so it is worth remembering that if Ogura wins – something he has never done – Arenas would have to be second in order for the #75 to secure the championship. 

Niccolo Antonelli had one of his better performances of the season to come through Q1 and qualify seventh. The Italian will be joined on the front row by his compatriot Dennis Foggia, and Foggia’s Leopard Honda teammate, Jaume Masia in the #5’s final race aboard a NSF250R.

Gabriel Rodrigo completed the top 10 in qualifying, and will head up the fourth row, ahead od Deniz Oncu and Sergio Garcia; while Barry Baltus will start from the front of row five, to be joined by Celestino Vietti and Yuki Kunii. 

Andrea Migno crashed early in the session and, although he was able to remount, was one of the riders who missed the flag on their final lap, along with Kaito Toba and Darryn Binder. All three of them failed to set a time at all in Q2, and will start from row six with Migno in 16th,Toba in 17th and Binder in 18th.

John Mcphee missed out on Q2 with fifth place in Q1, meaning the British rider will start from 19th on the grid alongside Adrian Fernandez, the brother of Raul Fernandez who is making his debut this weekend in the World Championship, in place of Filip Salac in the Snipers team. Completing the seventh row will be Khairul Idham Pawi, meaning Fernandez will be caught in a Petronas Sprinta Racing sandwich on tomorrow’s grid; while Romano Fenati heads up the eighth row from Maximilian Kofler and Riccardo Rossi. 

Row nine will be fronted by the second Max Racing Team Husqvarna of Alonso Lopez, who will be joined by Stefano Nepa and Tony Arbolino. While it worked out for Ogura to leave his lap until the end, it did not for Arbolino, who was passed into turn one by Darryn Binder before aborting the lap in turn three. 

Presumably Arbolino thought that he would be held up by Binder (the lap before he was held up by Nepa through turns nine and 10) but after he sat up Binder went on to top the session with that lap. Arbolino has mounted some impressive recovery rides so far this year, and the WorldSSP300 races in Portimao have proven that large groups are very possible in the Algarve circuit, but nonetheless the task for Arbolino to complete in order to become World Champion tomorrow is now monumental as he will depart from the back of row nine. 

Heading up row 10 will be Davide Pizzoli, from Carlos Tatay and Jason Dupasquier, while the final grid of the Moto3 season will be rounded out by Ryusei Yamanaka, who will start alone on the 11th row in 31st.