Joe Roberts in action during yesterday's Moto2 Qualifying round.
Doha: Joe Roberts (American Racing) slammed in a stunning 1:58.136 in Moto2 Q2 at the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar to earn his maiden Grand Prix pole position, with America also seeing their first intermediate class pole in almost a decade.
Yesterday at Losail International Circuit, the Free Practice pacesetter’s qualifying time was exactly the same as second place Luca Marini’s (SKY Racing Team VR46), but Roberts’ second best time was faster than the Italian’s. Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) completes the first Moto2 front row of the season.
From the off under the Losail lights, the Moto2 pace was electrifying. In Q1 Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) went just a thousandth of a second of Roberts’ Friday lap record and at the beginning of Q2, fellow Q1 graduate Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up) set a 1:58.396 to set the scene for a cracking first Moto2 qualifying of 2020. Tucked in behind teammate Marco Bezzecchi, Marini then went P2 as the SKY Racing Team VR46 duo sat P2 and P3 in the early stages, but it was an ever-changing affair on the timing screens.
After impressing in Free Practice, Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) then went just 0.014 off Navarro’s time to launch him into a provisional front row start, but Roberts was setting red sectors. On his opening flyer, lapping by himself, the number 16 went to P3 as 0.051 split the leading trio halfway through the session. It was anybody’s guess as to who was going to grab pole but then Marini launched an attack, the Italian setting a new lap record to go P1 with seven minutes remaining. Then, Roberts flashed across the finish line and set the exact same time as his counterpart – the American going to P1 because of his previous lap time being better than Marini’s.
‘The Beast’ turned up the wick in the east to propel himself into P3. Bastianini going just over a tenth shy of Roberts and Marini to secure his first Moto2 front row.
Meanwhile, in the lower class, SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Tatsuki Suzuki survived two late scares to bag only a second career Moto3 pole position after progressing through from Q1. The Japanese rider ended just 0.008 of a second clear of Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez in second, with Aspar Team Gaviota’s Albert Arenas completing the front row.
There was plenty of late drama in the closing moments of the first qualifying session of 2020, all starting when Suzuki was unable to get in one final flying lap due to an issue with seat unit. The Japanese rider got back out on track but was unable to get across the line before the chequered flag came out, meaning he had to sit, wait and pray.
It didn’t look like anybody was going to threaten his 2:04.815, with Fernandez the only rider in touching distance. The former Junior World Champion exited the final corner in the perfect slipstream of teammate Kaito Toba but he came across the line just shy of Suzuki’s time and had to settle for second place, matching his career-best qualifying performance.
