Moto2: Lowes takes Aragon pole with record breaking lap

Qualifying for round 11 of the 2020 Moto2 World Championship took place in MotorLand Aragon. Fabio Di Giannantonio came into qualifying as the fastest rider, having set a new lap record in FP3.

In Q1, just over one tenth of a second covered the top four riders, with Jorge Martin, Tetsuta Nagashima, Simone Corsi and Tom Luthi finding their way through to Q2. 

Q2 saw five riders go under the old lap record, and four dip into the 1’51s. The first was Jake Dixon, although he also ended up being the slowest of the four, before Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marco Bezzecchi and finally Sam Lowes went sub-1’52. They were the first four to go under 1’52 on a Moto2 bike, and it was Lowes who took pole position, the 10th of his career, as he continued his strong form from Le Mans where, of course, he was victorious. Lying just 22 points back in the championship, there is a chance tomorrow for Lowes to continue his momentum in the series and really put pressure on the three Italians ahead of him in the points. 

One of those Italians is Marco Bezzecchi. The #72 is 20 points down in the championship coming into this weekend, and qualified second, joining Lowes on the front row along with Di Giannantonio who took just his second front row in the Moto2 class. 

Dixon, as previously mentioned, was the slowes of those to dip into the 1’51s, but that was still good enough for fourth on the grid for the Brit who was heartbroken just under one week ago after crashing out in Le Mans. It looks like there is a chance for redemption for Dixon tomorrow, as he starts from the head of the second row alongside Marcos Ramirez – a personal best Moto2 qualifying for the #42 – and Jorge Navarro.

Luca Marini will have work to do tomorrow as Sam Lowes’ pole position lap bumped the championship leader down to seventh. The positive for Marini is that so far his weekend has gone quite smoothly and his pace is quite good. A patient approach might be his choice tomorrow but that might allow those starting at the front to stretch away in the early stages. 

Joining Marini on the third row will be Jorge Martin and Augusto Fernandez; while Remy Gardner completed the top 10 in qualifying and will start from the front of the fourth row tomorrow. The Australian will start alongside Joe Roberts and Enea Bastianini, the man lying second in the championship who will have work to do from 12th in order to reduce his 16-point deficit to Marini.

Tom Luthi could only manage 13th on the grid, and will be joined by Tetsuta Nagashima and Hector Garzo on the fifth row; while Edgar Pons heads up row six from Bo Bendsneyder and Simone Corsi.

Hafizh Syahrin was the fastest rider to miss out on Q2, the Malaysian qualifying 19th. Starting alongside him on row seven will be Xavi Vierge and Lorenzo Baldassarri; while Marcel Schrotter was disappointed to only be eighth in Q1 and will therefore start from 22nd ahead of Stefano Manzi and Lorenzo Dalla Porta who will join him on row eight. 

The ninth row will see Somkiat Chantra start from 25th alongside Nicolo Bulega and Andi Izdihar; whilst Aron Canet’s replacement as Aspar, Xavi Cardelus, will head up row 10 from Kasma Daniel and Piotr Biesiekirski who was the slowest of the 30 qualifiers.