The GASGAS rider turned domination into pole position on a sunny Saturday at the Sachsenring.
GASGAS Aspar Team’s Izan Guevara continued his roll with Moto3™ pole position at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Fresh from breaking the All Time Lap Record in FP3 at the Sachsenring, he did it again in Q2 when he set a 1:25.869, 0.295 seconds quicker than the rest. Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia was next up, with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Daniel Holgado will joining the duo on the front row.
The two fastest Moto3™ laps in history around the Sachsenring belonged to Guevara after FP3 earlier in the day, and now it’s three as a result of the Spaniard’s efforts in qualifying. He had an early 1:26.580 in Q2 cancelled due to a yellow flag, but then the Aspar rider fired in a 1:25.869 just before the chequered flag. A tour through the Turn 1 gravel trap followed but Guevara is nevertheless in red-hot form after winning the Catalan Grand Prix a fortnight ago, and will have his eyes on teammate Sergio Garcia’s World Championship lead on Sunday afternoon in Germany as the number 11 starts on Row 3.
Foggia set a 1:26.252 just ahead of teammate Tatsuki Suzuki just before the chequered flag and a 1:26.164 final effort after it to make sure of second on the grid, with Holgado, who had been fastest until Guevara’s pole lap, forced to settle for third.
Holgado spoilt what was provisionally an all-Japanese front row with five minutes to go in the session, but the trio in question has instead locked out the second row. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), in his first weekend back his Free Practice crash at Mugello, claimed fourth on a 1:26.299, ahead of Suzuki on a 1:26.325 and Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) on a 1:26.467. The latter will, however, have to take a Long Lap penalty during Sunday’s race after having been found to have caused a crash last time out at Catalunya.
Moto3™ World Championship leader Garcia, meanwhile, finds himself in the middle of Row 3, between seventh placed David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and ninth placed Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team). Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) rounds out the top 10.
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) failed to set a time when he crashed early in Q2, and the drama was even earlier for Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) as he went from a provisional place in Q2 to 24th on the grid when his fastest lap in Q1 was cancelled due to a breach of track limits – and he was in the garage at the time.
That’s an interesting grid to whet some appetites for race day, but can anyone stop Guevara from making it two wins on the bounce? Make sure to rune in as Moto3™ races around the ‘Ring from 11:00 (GMT +2).
Moto3™ FRONT ROW
1 Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 1’25.869
2 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +0.295
3 Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Honda – +0.320
Izan Guevara: “I’m really happy with my third pole position this year in the World Championship. Today was incredible work on the track, a good feeling with the bike and the track, and good work with my team. Today, my pace is really good, I’m really happy, and tomorrow in the race, I’ll push from the first moment. It’s possible to break away like Barcelona maybe, because this circuit is very small and I know it’s strange. My pace is really good, and tomorrow I’ll push from the first moment, and the pole position is really important for me today.”
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