Moto2: Gardner secures Jerez pole, Lowes fifth

Qualifying for the fourth round of the 2021 Moto2 World Championship got underway in a windy Jerez, as Sam Lowes was looking to bounce back in the first competitive sessions since his crash at the first turn in Portimao.

In Q1, Cameron Beaubier topped the session ahead of Marcos Ramirez, Bo Bendsneyder and Nicolo Bulega, who all moved through to Q2.

In Q2, Remy Gardner was able to take his first pole position of the season, as he looks to reinforce his position at the top of the championship tomorrow afternoon. The Australian has looked strong all weekend, and has a good opportunity tomorrow to take his first win of the season. 

Joining Gardner on the front row will be the Italian duo of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi, with the former looking somewhat back to the form that took him to the podium in Qatar, and the latter still searching for the kind of speed that saw him win three races in 2020. 

A late lap from Raul Fernandez promoted him up to fourth place, as the Portimao winner displaced Sam Lowes from the head of the second row. Lowes himself will start fifth, despite a late crash for the #22 in qualifying, as he looks to regain the momentum in the championship battle, while Xavi Vierge will complete the second row tomorrow in sixth. 

Augusto Fernandez will start seventh, ahead of Joe Roberts, who had a crash down at turn six, and Ai Ogura who completes the third row. 

Jake Dixon was another crasher in Q2, but was able to complete the qualifying top 10, and will start from the front of the fourth row tomorrow alongside Aron Canet and Jorge Navarro; while Nicolo Bulega will head up row five from Marcos Ramirez and Bo Bendsneyder; and Cameron Beaubier will start from the front of the sixth row ahead of Marcel Schrotter and Albert Arenas.

Stefano Manzi made a mistake by retiring to the pits before the end of the Q1 session. He was second when he ended his session but was fifth by the end of it, therefore missing Q2 and qualifying 19th. He will start alongside his Flexbox HP 40 teammate, Hector Garzo, and compatriot Lorenzo Baldassarri.

Somkiat Chantra will start from the front of row eight in 22nd, ahead of Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Tony Arbolino; while Simone Corsi will start from 25th, alongside Tom Luthi and Yari Montella – who had a big crash at turn 11 but walked away – on the ninth row. 

Row 10 tomorrow will be headed up by Hafizh Syahrin, ahead of a struggling Celestino Vietti and Taiga Hada – a European championship regular racing this weekend in place of Barry Baltus on the NTS. Finally, Tomasso Marcon, wildcarding this weekend for MV Agusta, will start from 31st and last.