Newly-announced as a 2021 Moto2 rider, Tony Arbolino had more to celebrate in Barcelona this afternoon claiming the Moto3 pole position from a hard-fighting Raul Fernandez ahead of this weekend’s Catalan GP. Gabriel Rodrigo will start Sunday’s contest alongside the battling duo on the front row.
Moto3 qualifying began with the top three in the championship heading out for Q1 as Albert Arenas, Ai Ogura and McPhee all looked to secure their passage through to the all-important grid shootout.
The Brit’s session didn’t get off to the best start, heading out for just one lap before returning directly to the pits with a shake of his head followed by a gaggle of expectant riders hoping for a tow. With six minutes remaining, Arenas was the only ‘top’ rider to have set a time, sitting third on a 1’49.643 behind Ricardo Rossi and Carlos Tatay.
The session burst into life in the closing four minutes as the rest of the field finally took to the track in anger, McPhee’s first effort placing him ninth in the challenging times with just two minutes to go.
The final moments saw the standings fully shuffled with Lopez fastest on a 1’48.894 lap ahead of Niccolò Antonelli, McPhee and Arenas. A fall for Tatay on his final effort dealing a similar fate to early leader Rossi, the two sitting sixth and seventh at the flag after late crashes while the biggest shock befell Ogura. The Japanese rider finished his qualifying 10th, leaving the championship challenger starting 24th on tomorrow’s grid but already confident he is up for the fight come race day.
The final 15-minute session saw Arenas and McPhee heading straight out to reaffirm their positions, the duo sitting second and fifth respectively at the ten minute mark as first Fernandez, then newly-signed Arbolino took charge at the top.
Scrabbling for slipstream, mostly behind Fernandez, the pack looked to improve on their times as the clock ticked down, the Spaniard putting in a good effort before managing to break free for his second attempt. Hitting the top on his sixth lap, Fernandez claimed the early honours with a 1’48.380 before next-year’s Moto2 rider, Arbolino claimed the pole with a stunning 1’47.762, his predecessor simultaneously hitting the deck in the final corner.
Rodrigo completes the front-row, with Arenas, Jaume Masia and Antonelli behind on row two. Filip Salac, Kaito Toba and Darryn Binder claimed seventh to ninth as Sergio Garcia, Andrea Migno and McPhee round out the top-12. Dennis Foggia - now confirmed to remain with the Leopard outfit for 2021 - took 13th ahead of Jeremy Alcoba, Romano Fenati, Alonso Lopez and a disappointed Celestino Vietti ,with Ayumu Sasaki claiming the last sixth row position in 18th.
