Moto2: Portuguese pole for Gardner as Lowes battles the pain for second row

Qualifying for the final round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship took place in Portimao for the inaugural visit of the motorcycle Grand Prix paddock to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. In free practice, it was Remy Gardner who was fastest, but mathematical championship contender Marco Bezzecchi was forced to go through Q1.

When Q1 rolled around, it was Bezzecchi who topped it from Bo Bendsneyder ahead of his final Moto2 race, as Jorge Martin and Nicolo Bulega joined them in moving through to Q2. 

Q2 saw a lot of chopping and changing at the top of the times, with Luca Marini, Sam Lowes and many others all having their time at the top, but in the end it was Remy Garnder who took pole position ahead of his final race for the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team. The Australian will be joined on the front row by Luca Marini, in the Italian’s quest for the world title, and Fabio Di Giannantonio who will be hoping for a strong result in his final ride for Speed Up.

Enea Bastianini was languishing outside the top 10 and down as low as 15th for much of the session, but the final run for the #33 was strong and he was ultimately able to get himself up into fourth place. 

If the championship leader finishes tomorrow where he has qualified today he will take the Moto2 crown for this year, but right alongside him will be his closest challenger, Sam Lowes. The pain the #22 is enduring this weekend is visible every time he returns to the pits after his wrist injury in Valencia last week. It has been an heroic effort so far from Lowes, but he must beat Bastianini tomorrow if he is to have any chance at the title. 

Completing the second row will be last week’s winner Jorge Martin; while Nicolo Bulega’s season-best qualifying sees him head up the third row in seventh, ahead of Augusto Fernandez and Marcos Ramirez.

Tetsuta Nagashima will start his final race for Red Bull KTM Ajo from 10th, alongside Hector Garzo and the fourth and final championship contender, Marco Bezzecchi, on the fourth row. Bezzecchi must win tomorrow if he is to take the title, but the #72 has not shown the pace for that all weekend and starting from 12th will not help his cause. 

Row five will be headed by Xavi Vierge, who will start alongside Jorge Navarro and Aron Canet; while row six will see Bo Bendsneyder start from 16th ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri and Joe Roberts. 

Stefano Manzi, last weekend’s pole sitter, was the fastest rider not to make Q2, as the Italian qualified 19th, and will be joined on the seventh row by his compatriot Lorenzo Dalla Porta, and Marcel Schrotter. 

The eighth row will be headed up by Dominique Aegerter who is back this weekend at NTS for the final race of the season as Piotr Biesiekirski misses out. Aegerter will be joined by Edgar Pons and Tom Luthi on row eight; while Simone Corsi heads up row nine from Andi Izdihar and Somkiat Chantra. The 10th and final row will be comprised of Hafizh Syahrin and Kasma Daniel.