Moto2: Gardner beats Fernandez to Barcelona pole

Qualifying for the Moto2 Catalan Grand Prix, round seven of the 2021 World Championship, took place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Remy Gardner was fastest overall in practice.

In Q1, Jorge Navarro topped the session, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio, Somkiat Chantra and Nicolo Bulega, who all joined the #9 in moving through to Q2. 

Q2 was a reflection of the season, in that it was dominated by the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders of Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez. As in the race in Mugello, on this occasion it was Gardner who came out on top and took pole position ahead of his Spanish teammate and championship rival. But with Fernandez starting alongside him tomorrow the Australian will need to be on top of his game to prevent his points lead from being at all eroded.

Joining the Red Bull KTM riders on the front row will be Bo Bendsneyder, who is having another good weekend in Barcelona; while Augusto Fernandez’ improving form has also been continuing this weekend, and the Spaniard will line up fourth tomorrow, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Xavi Vierge. 

Ai Ogura was seventh in qualifying, which only seems underwhelming from the Japanese rookie as a result of Raul Fernandez’ first-year title tilt. The #79 will be joined on the third row tomorrow by Sam Lowes and Somkiat Chantra, after the Thai rider knocked Marco Bezzecchi down to a lowly 10th place. 

On row four, Bezzecchi will be starting alongside Aron Canet and Jorge Navarro, who crashed early on in Q2; while on the fifth row, Marcel Schrotter will start from 13th ahead of his teammate, Tony Arbolino, and Lorenzo Dalla Porta. Row six, meanwhile, will see Nicolo Bulega start from 16th ahead of Joe Roberts and Marcos Ramirez.

Hector Garzo was the fastest rider to miss out on Q2, and will start 19th alongside Hafizh Syahrin and Albert Arenas; while Simone Corsi will head up row eight from Tom Luthi and Lorenzo Baldassarri. 

Celestino Vietti’s difficulties continue as the Italian rookie cold only manage 11th in Q1, and qualified 25th ahead of fellow rookie Barry Baltus and Stefano Manzi; while Cameron Beaubier will be looking for a repeat performance of that of Mugello, as he comes from the head of the 10th row in 28th, where he will be alongside Alonso Lopez (back this weekend replacing Yari Montella at Speed Up, as Fermin Aldeguer is back on Aspar MotoE duties) and Keminth Kubo, who is making his World Championship debut with the VR46 Mastercamp team.

Piotr Biesiekirski is back in action this weekend, too, after filling in at RW Racing for much of last season. This time, the #74 is with the SAG team as a wildcard, and will start from 31st tomorrow, with only Jake Dixon behind him after the #96 crashed on his first lap before setting a time.