Moto3: Binder takes first ever pole as KTM lockout Valencian front row

Qualifying for the penultimate round of the 2020 Moto3 World Championship took place in Valencia. Despite a completely dry Friday, the conditions for qualifying were mixed with the track drying throughout the session. 

Q1 would be an important one for the championship, as Albert Arenas, the championship leader who has his first match point in the World Championship this weekend, was forced to take part. Fortunately for the #75, he was able to top the session and move straight through to Q2, ahead of Riccardo Rossi, John McPhee and Darryn Binder who would complete the 18-rider Q2 lineup. 

Q2 saw the pole position battle go down to the final moments, with Darryn Binder coming out on top eventually. It was the South African’s first pole position of his Grand Prix career and puts him in a strong position to challenge for what would be a second victory of 2020. 

Joining Binder on the front row will be the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo of Kaito Toba and Raul Fernandez. For Toba, this represents a season-best qualifying as he looks to return to the podium after missing out last week due to tyre issues, while for Fernandez third place in Valencia makes it 10 front rows for the season. 

Jaume Masia will head up row two tomorrow as he looks to bounce back from a crash last weekend and take what would be a third win in four races; while a late lap from Andrea Migno means he will start from fifth. Indeed, Migno will be the Italian meat in the Spanish sandwich, as he will be flanked on the second row not only by Masia ahead of him but also Albert Arenas behind him, as the #75 looks to make good on his first opportunity to win the title. 

Ai Ogura was in second place for much of the session but dropped back at the end down to seventh. The Japanese is only three points behind Arenas in the championship, but nonetheless will be relieved the gap between the two on the grid is only one position. Joining the #79 on row three will be Tatsuki Suzuki and Celestino Vietti, the Italian another championship contender who will be relieved that his third row qualifying does not put him at too much of an early disadvantage to Arenas, whom he trails by 20 points. 

Niccolo Antonelli completed the qualifying top 10 and will start from the front of the fourth row, alongside Deniz Oncu and Yuki Kunii, 12th representing a career best qualifying for the #92; while Tony Arbolino – 23 points in arrears compared to Arenas – will start 13th alongside Romano Fenati and Jeremy Alcoba on the fifth row. 

John McPhee will start from the front of row six, ahead of Sergio Garcia and Riccardo Rossi, who was the slowest of the Q2 runners and may face a penalty for his role in a crash between himself and Gabriel Rodrigo in Q1.

Stefano Nepa was in a Q2 transfer spot until Riccardo Rossi’s final lap displaced him. The #82 will start from 19th, ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka and Alonso Lopez on the seventh row, while Maximilian Kofler will head up row eight from the PruestelGP pairing of Jason Dupasquier and Barry Baltus. 

Davide Pizzoli was 11th in Q1, meaning the Italian will start from the front of the ninth row tomorrow, alongside Dennis Foggia and Khairul Idham Pawi, the Italian having crashed in Q1. 

On the back row will be Carlos Tatay and Gabriel Rodrigo, the Spaniard having crashed twice in Q1 of his own accord, while things were taken out of Rodrigo’s hands by RIccardo Rossi who crashed while making an ambitious move at turn 10 on Rodrigo, taking the Argentine with him. The #2 Gresini Honda was beyond repair as far as Q1 was concerned, so it will be a comeback from last on the menu for Rodrigo in the penultimate race of the season.