Rivacold Snipers’ Filip Salac claimed the first pole position of his Moto3 career at the Sachsenring by setting the only 1’26 lap time of Saturday’s qualifying for the German GP.
Dennis Foggia and Tatsuki Suzuki will join the Czech rider on the front row for Sunday’s 27-lap race after John McPhee’s final hot-lap fell short in the final sector - just three-tenths covering the top-four riders as the flag came out.
Darryn Binder, Jaume Masia, Gabriel Rodrigo and Deniz Öncü were among the 12 riders vying for a place in Q2 as the opening 15-minutes of Saturday qualifying kicked into action at a sizzling Saxony circuit - track temperatures just shy of 50 degrees as the midday session commenced.
Binder took charge with a 1’27.481 as the first flying laps registered, Masia, Yuki Kunii and Rodrigo claiming the final promotion spots in the early minutes despite the latter having a moment at the final corner. The Argentinean was quick to recover, however, improving his pace next time around to move up to third with Jeremy Alcoba sitting achingly close on the fringes of Q2 connection, just 0.053s adrift, in fifth.
The final minute saw Binder crash at the exit of turn one after heading out tentatively for one last lap. Getting his head down as he aimed to tag on to the train of riders ahead of him, the SRT rider collected Joel Kelso in the process, with the CIP replacement able to continue, albeit at the back of the field.
Rodrigo ran off track on his fast effort as the session wound down with the Gresini rider disappointed to be demoted as he missed his chance at a second attempt - both he and teammate Alcoba finding the flag before they could begin their final challenge.
Binder’s earlier banker was enough to secure his promotion - the South African’s crew scrabbling to get his Petronas Honda ready for the final shootout - with Öncü, Masia and Kunii claiming the final upgrades.
The battle for pole began with Öncü flying through the gravel at turn eight and Binder receiving a black flag from race control due to irresponsible riding in Q1. Back on track Salac took control with a 1’26.913, Foggia and Kaito Toba joining him on the provisional front row with Romano Fenati, Stefano Nepa and Andrea Migno sitting fourth to sixth as Pedro Acosta and McPhee circulated in 10th and 11th.
The final flurry saw the pack leave the pits with three minutes to go, race direction’s ‘stern talk’ at Barcelona seemingly failing to register as multiple riders continued to cruise on the racing line. A dramatic crash for Toba saw the Japanese man looking pained as he clutched his left shoulder while being helped out of the gravel, McPhee’s impressive late effort fading in the final sector as he secured fourth at the flag.
Salac claimed his debut pole from Foggia and a late-charging Suzuki, with McPhee heading Toba and Lorenzo Fellon on the second row. Niccolò Antonelli, Fenati and Nepa concluded the top-nine with Andrea Migno, Öncü and Izan Guevara leading Acosta, Sergio Garcia, Xavier Artigas on rows four and five. Kunii and Masia completed the finishers with Binder starting Sunday’s race from 18th.
