KTM’s Raul Fernandez claimed his third Moto2 pole position of 2021 with a stunning new circuit record - a 1’23.397 - at the Sachsenring on Saturday afternoon.

The rookie’s achievement gifted the Ajo team its fifth pole in succession with Fabio Di Giannantonio and teammate Remy Gardner completing the Parc Ferme revelry. Brits Sam Lowes and Jake Dixon will line up in seventh and 15th respectively ahead of Sunday’s 28-lap German GP.

Bo Bendsneyder and Marco Bezzecchi battled at the top of the standings as Q1 fired up for Moto2. Aron Canet and Albert Arenas locking out the remaining promotion zone with their Aspar machines as Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Tony Arbolino sat on the fringes, two-tenths adrift, at the halfway stage. Bezzecchi taking another excursion through the gravel at turn one before returning to the pits, with Sky teammate Celestino Vietti joining him in the garage, from seventh, moments later.

No change to the top times in the second half saw Bendsneyder’s 1’24.122 lap advance him into Q2, Bezzecchi, Canet and Arenas joining him, Dalla Porta’s last lap in the dying seconds denied by a mere 0.034s.

Remy Gardner retained control as Q2 kicked into gear, setting a 1’23.769 on his first hot-lap before Fabio di Giannantonio challenged for the position. The Australian hit back immediately as he advanced the pace by two-tenths with Raul Fernandez sliding into third on his fourth lap.

The KTM/Gresini battle continued as the session unfolded, Bezzecchi boosting his VR46 machine to fourth with Xavi Vierge and Jorge Navarro behind. Sam Lowes circulated in seventh before front-end vibration stalled his progress once again, this time at turn one - the Brit already suffering with a sore neck from his Friday tumble.

Jake Dixon sat 14th as the session wound towards its conclusion, Lowes heading back out on track with four minutes left to run.

Fernandez struck for provisional control with an all-time lap-record - a 1’23.397 - with two minutes to go, finding the flag with no challenges in sight to secure his third pole of the season. Di Giannantonio and Gardner completing the front row with Bezzecchi, Vierge and Navarro holding fast behind. Lowes secured seventh from Ai Ogura and Bendsneyder, with Canet, Nicolò Bulega and Joe Roberts rounding out row four. Somkiat Chantra and Augusto Fernandez headed Dixon with Marcos Ramirez, Marcel Schrotter and Arenas completing the top-18.