Alex Marquez opened his Moto2 account with pole position in a close Moto2 session, with a dozen riders within one second, and some surprising names up at the front.
2018 Qatar Moto2 and Moto3 Saturday Results
The Marc VDS rider is joined on the front row by a late-charging Lorenzo Baldassarri, with last year’s top rookie Pecco Bagnaia making it three Kalexes up front.
The surprises were just behind.
Fourth-placed Miguel Oliveira (KTM) was tipped for better after winning the last three races of 2017; he was more than half a second off pole pace.
Alongside him, class rookie Romano Fenati (Kalex), and former Moto3 champion Danny Kent, riding a Speed Up. Fenati’s victor in last year’s Moto3 championship, runaway winner Joan Mir, ended up down in 24th.
Jorge Navarro leads and all-Kalex row three from Mattia Pasini and Marcel Schrotter; Sam Lowes placed tenth on the KTM on his comeback ride from MotoGP, after a tumble earlier in the session.
American rookie Joe Roberts qualified 27th on his first visit to the track.
2018 Qatar Moto2 and Moto3 Saturday Results
Former race winner Nico Antonelli took the first qualifying honours of the year for Honda in Moto3, snitching his first pole position since 2016 with a canny slipstreaming move at the end of the session.
He denied fellow Honda rider Jorge Martin, ten times on pole last year. The Spaniard had dominated the session and put in a flyer of his own … but without the benefit of a slipstream he fell short by a barely measurable thousandth of a second.
They will be joined on the front row by Gabriel Rodrigo, the KTM rider a frequent fast qualifier last year; but Honda appeared to hold the high ground, with seven of the top ten.
Row two will be led by two Hondas, with Ayamu Sasaki following Martin to claim third (both former Red Bull Rookie champions); and a second Japanese star, Kaito Toba next. Sixth went to new KTM rider Marco Bezzecchi; last year’s star Aron Canet (Honda) leads row three from Philipp Oettl (KTM) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Honda).
Enea Bastianini (Honda) topped FP1 and was threatening for the front row when he ran wide on the final lap, ending up tenth.
snitching his first pole position since 2016 with a canny slipstreaming move at the end of the session.
He denied fellow Honda rider Jorge Martin, ten times on pole last year. The Spaniard had dominated the session and put in a flyer of his own … but without the benefit of a slipstream he fell short by a barely measurable thousandth of a second.
They will be joined on the front row by Gabriel Rodrigo, the KTM rider a frequent fast qualifier last year; but Honda appeared to hold the high ground, with seven of the top ten.
Row two will be led by two Hondas, with Ayamu Sasaki following Martin to claim third (both former Red Bull Rookie champions); and a second Japanese star, Kaito Toba next. Sixth went to new KTM rider Marco Bezzecchi; last year’s star Aron Canet (Honda) leads row three from Philipp Oettl (KTM) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Honda).
Enea Bastianini (Honda) topped FP1 and was threatening for the front row when he ran wide on the final lap, ending up tenth.
2018 Qatar Moto2 and Moto3 Saturday Results
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
Moto2 Qualifying Classification
Doha, Saturday, March 17, 2018
| 1 | 73 | Alex MARQUEZ | SPA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Kalex | 274.4 | 2’00.299 | |
| 2 | 7 | Lorenzo BALDASSARRI | ITA | Pons HP40 | Kalex | 272.4 | 2’00.607 | 0.308 / 0.308 |
| 3 | 42 | Francesco BAGNAIA | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | Kalex | 272.9 | 2’00.843 | 0.544 / 0.236 |
| 4 | 44 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | POR | Red Bull KTM Ajo | KTM | 276.2 | 2’00.846 | 0.547 / 0.003 |
| 5 | 13 | Romano FENATI | ITA | Marinelli Snipers Team | Kalex | 273.2 | 2’00.899 | 0.600 / 0.053 |
| 6 | 52 | Danny KENT | GBR | Beta Tools – Speed Up Racing | Speed Up | 271.4 | 2’00.965 | 0.666 / 0.066 |
| 7 | 9 | Jorge NAVARRO | SPA | Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 | Kalex | 274.3 | 2’01.038 | 0.739 / 0.073 |
| 8 | 54 | Mattia PASINI | ITA | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 273.9 | 2’01.062 | 0.763 / 0.024 |
| 9 | 23 | Marcel SCHROTTER | GER | Dynavolt Intact GP | Kalex | 276.4 | 2’01.129 | 0.830 / 0.067 |
| 10 | 22 | Sam LOWES | GBR | Swiss Innovative Investors | KTM | 268.9 | 2’01.167 | 0.868 / 0.038 |
| 11 | 97 | Xavi VIERGE | SPA | Dynavolt Intact GP | Kalex | 277.2 | 2’01.176 | 0.877 / 0.009 |
| 12 | 87 | Remy GARDNER | AUS | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 270.6 | 2’01.252 | 0.953 / 0.076 |
| 13 | 41 | Brad BINDER | RSA | Red Bull KTM Ajo | KTM | 277.7 | 2’01.338 | 1.039 / 0.086 |
| 14 | 24 | Simone CORSI | ITA | Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 | Kalex | 271.4 | 2’01.351 | 1.052 / 0.013 |
| 15 | 27 | Iker LECUONA | SPA | Swiss Innovative Investors | KTM | 274.8 | 2’01.355 | 1.056 / 0.004 |
| 16 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | FRA | Beta Tools – Speed Up Racing | Speed Up | 271.2 | 2’01.404 | 1.105 / 0.049 |
| 17 | 10 | Luca MARINI | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | Kalex | 276.7 | 2’01.420 | 1.121 / 0.016 |
| 18 | 32 | Isaac VIÑALES | SPA | SAG Team | Kalex | 273.6 | 2’01.421 | 1.122 / 0.001 |
| 19 | 40 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Pons HP40 | Kalex | 272.8 | 2’01.482 | 1.183 / 0.061 |
| 20 | 64 | Bo BENDSNEYDER | NED | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 273.3 | 2’01.562 | 1.263 / 0.080 |
| 21 | 77 | Dominique AEGERTER | SWI | Kiefer Racing | KTM | 270.1 | 2’01.745 | 1.446 / 0.183 |
| 22 | 4 | Steven ODENDAAL | RSA | NTS RW Racing GP | NTS | 272.8 | 2’01.936 | 1.637 / 0.191 |
| 23 | 5 | Andrea LOCATELLI | ITA | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 273.0 | 2’01.954 | 1.655 / 0.018 |
| 24 | 36 | Joan MIR | SPA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Kalex | 270.6 | 2’02.324 | 2.025 / 0.370 |
| 25 | 89 | Khairul Idham PAWI | MAL | IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia | Kalex | 265.9 | 2’02.433 | 2.134 / 0.109 |
| 26 | 45 | Tetsuta NAGASHIMA | JPN | IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia | Kalex | 266.6 | 2’02.568 | 2.269 / 0.135 |
| 27 | 16 | Joe ROBERTS | USA | NTS RW Racing GP | NTS | 265.1 | 2’03.233 | 2.934 / 0.665 |
| 28 | 62 | Stefano MANZI | ITA | Forward Racing Team | Suter | 269.3 | 2’03.263 | 2.964 / 0.030 |
| 29 | 95 | Jules DANILO | FRA | Nashi Argan SAG Team | Kalex | 269.9 | 2’03.453 | 3.154 / 0.190 |
| 30 | 51 | Eric GRANADO | BRA | Forward Racing Team | Suter | 267.0 | 2’03.516 | 3.217 / 0.063 |
| 31 | 21 | Federico FULIGNI | ITA | Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 | Kalex | 262.3 | 2’04.078 | 3.779 / 0.562 |
| 32 | 63 | Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN | MAL | SIC Racing Team | Kalex | 271.8 | 2’04.780 | 4.481 / 0.702 |
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
Moto3 Qualifying Classification
Doha, Saturday, March 17, 2018
| 1 | 23 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | ITA | SIC58 Squadra Corse | Honda | 226.7 | 2’06.364 | |
| 2 | 88 | Jorge MARTIN | SPA | Del Conca Gresini Moto3 | Honda | 227.5 | 2’06.365 | 0.001 / 0.001 |
| 3 | 19 | Gabriel RODRIGO | ARG | RBA BOE Skull Rider | KTM | 228.2 | 2’06.848 | 0.484 / 0.483 |
| 4 | 71 | Ayumu SASAKI | JPN | Petronas Sprinta Racing | Honda | 231.2 | 2’07.043 | 0.679 / 0.195 |
| 5 | 27 | Kaito TOBA | JPN | Honda Team Asia | Honda | 227.6 | 2’07.048 | 0.684 / 0.005 |
| 6 | 12 | Marco BEZZECCHI | ITA | Redox PruestelGP | KTM | 230.1 | 2’07.058 | 0.694 / 0.010 |
| 7 | 44 | Aron CANET | SPA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Honda | 226.8 | 2’07.059 | 0.695 / 0.001 |
| 8 | 65 | Philipp OETTL | GER | Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing | KTM | 226.7 | 2’07.187 | 0.823 / 0.128 |
| 9 | 48 | Lorenzo DALLA PORTA | ITA | Leopard Racing | Honda | 230.0 | 2’07.320 | 0.956 / 0.133 |
| 10 | 33 | Enea BASTIANINI | ITA | Leopard Racing | Honda | 226.6 | 2’07.324 | 0.960 / 0.004 |
| 11 | 84 | Jakub KORNFEIL | CZE | Redox PruestelGP | KTM | 224.8 | 2’07.326 | 0.962 / 0.002 |
| 12 | 17 | John MCPHEE | GBR | CIP – Green Power | KTM | 226.7 | 2’07.407 | 1.043 / 0.081 |
| 13 | 5 | Jaume MASIA | SPA | Bester Capital Dubai | KTM | 222.1 | 2’07.462 | 1.098 / 0.055 |
| 14 | 16 | Andrea MIGNO | ITA | Angel Nieto Team Moto3 | KTM | 225.4 | 2’07.586 | 1.222 / 0.124 |
| 15 | 42 | Marcos RAMIREZ | SPA | Bester Capital Dubai | KTM | 228.1 | 2’07.607 | 1.243 / 0.021 |
| 16 | 21 | Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO | ITA | Del Conca Gresini Moto3 | Honda | 224.1 | 2’07.634 | 1.270 / 0.027 |
| 17 | 7 | Adam NORRODIN | MAL | Petronas Sprinta Racing | Honda | 227.7 | 2’07.758 | 1.394 / 0.124 |
| 18 | 11 | Livio LOI | BEL | Reale Avintia Academy | KTM | 222.3 | 2’07.901 | 1.537 / 0.143 |
| 19 | 22 | Kazuki MASAKI | JPN | RBA BOE Skull Rider | KTM | 226.3 | 2’08.108 | 1.744 / 0.207 |
| 20 | 40 | Darryn BINDER | RSA | Red Bull KTM Ajo | KTM | 222.7 | 2’08.202 | 1.838 / 0.094 |
| 21 | 72 | Alonso LOPEZ | SPA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Honda | 221.0 | 2’08.280 | 1.916 / 0.078 |
| 22 | 8 | Nicolo BULEGA | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | KTM | 224.2 | 2’08.364 | 2.000 / 0.084 |
| 23 | 75 | Albert ARENAS | SPA | Angel Nieto Team Moto3 | KTM | 223.9 | 2’08.480 | 2.116 / 0.116 |
| 24 | 76 | Makar YURCHENKO | KAZ | CIP – Green Power | KTM | 220.4 | 2’08.547 | 2.183 / 0.067 |
| 25 | 10 | Dennis FOGGIA | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | KTM | 221.9 | 2’08.785 | 2.421 / 0.238 |
| 26 | 14 | Tony ARBOLINO | ITA | Marinelli Snipers Team | Honda | 229.3 | 2’08.795 | 2.431 / 0.010 |
| 27 | 41 | Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT | THA | Honda Team Asia | Honda | 224.4 | 2’08.936 | 2.572 / 0.141 |
| 24 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | JPN | SIC58 Squadra Corse | Honda |
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