Esteve Rabat has claimed his fourth pole in six races after dominating the Moto2 qualifying session although the headlines from a British point of view will focus on Sam Lowes who took a sensational second for Speed Up. Rabat was unbeaten for almost the entire session with the big fight concerning the two remaining front row slots and Lowes produced a superb late burst to beat Sandro Cortese to second.
Rabat took over at the top on just his second flying lap of the afternoon, clocking a 1:53.188 to move three tenths clear of Jordi Torres, and the championship leader’s next attempt saw him break into the 1:52s, something only two other riders would manage in the remainder of the session. Although he didn’t go any faster in the remaining 35 minutes, pole position was in the bag.
Le Mans polesitter Jonas Folger moved into second place at the midway stage with a 1:53.008 but the impressive display from Lowes caught him out. The reigning World Supersport champion had been lying outside the top ten but a 1:53.228 lifted him onto the outside of the front row before a 1:52.901 promoted him another spot at the expense of the German.
Lowes held onto second to the delight of his Speed Up squad at their home Grand Prix while Sandro Cortese snatched third from his compatriot late on. Folger fell to fourth ahead of Dominique Aegerter and Luis Salom while Jordi Torres dropped to seventh in the end. Franco Morbidelli will be the leading Italian on tomorrow’s grid in eighth with Thomas Luthi and Marcel Schrotter ensuring championship contender Mika Kallio could do no better than eleventh.
