The points leader takes it by less than a tenth, with Sasaki and Holgado locking out the front row.

Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team’s Izan Guevara held onto pole position at the Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon, ending qualifying just 0.095 ahead of Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max’s Ayumu Sasaki and with Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) set to start alongside the two in third. Guevara had been left vulnerable after proving too late to mount a final time attack, but in the end it was his team-mate and nearest rival for the title, Sergio Garcia, shuffled back as he prepares to line up in P12.

Holgado had been quickest once everyone had been through for one flying lap in Q2, on a 1:58.027, before Sasaki responded with a 1:57.963 next time through. Guevara then clocked a 1:57.868 to be the pace-setter with five minutes to go, but the final time attacks were still to come from most.

With the slipstream so important down Aragon’s back straight, there were the usual track position games at the start of the session and then again at the start of the final runs – even in terms of rolling bikes out of their boxes in pit lane, in some cases! Guevara left his run a little bit too late, however, and took the chequered flag before he had a chance to start another flying lap.

Fortunately for him, the first two rows did not change. Behind Guevara, Sasaki, and Holgado on the starting grid will be Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). Suzuki managed a 1:58.271 on his first run and McPhee a 1:58.296, while Foggia improved to a 1:58.363 on his final lap to consolidate sixth position.

Rounding out the top 10 were Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP). Q1 fast man Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) snatched 11th with the chequered flag out, while Garcia just got a spot on Row 4.

There was frustration for Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who blitzed FP3 but then pulled off the race track early in Q2 with an apparent technical problem. He and bike got back to the pits and while his KTM was eventually re-fired, it would be seconds too late for him to make it back around and start another hot lap before the chequered flag came out. The Turk will start 13th, ahead of Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3), David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse). Neither of the latter two set a time in Q2, with Moreira having a crash at the Reverse Corkscrew – rider okay.

Earlier in the day, Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team) was declared unfit, however, after sustaining a fractured left wrist in a crash in FP3.

The grid for Sunday’s race is an interesting one, so make sure to tune in at 11am (GMT +2) as Guevara looks to hammer home his advantage – and the rest dig in to stop him!

Moto3™ FRONT ROW
1 Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) – KTM – 1:57.868
2 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) – Husqvarna – +0.095
3 Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.169

Izan Guevara: “I had victory in the first two races in Spain, this is the third race. I’m really happy with this day today. It’s my fourth pole position this year, which is amazing. For tomorrow, I have good pace alone, in the race I will push, and it’s possible that I will battle for victory tomorrow.

“I have good memories here. In 2020, with the CEV, I started P22 and I won three races. Tomorrow, I will try to push alone if there is a free moment.”

For more Moto3 info checkout our dedicated Moto3 News page

Or visit the official MotoGP website motogp.com