#AustrianGP Moto3 Qualification: Rodrigo like in Brno

With a Bastianini on the comeback, a determined Mir, a Fenati hiding his game and a Canet in ambush, this qualification in Moto3 promised to be contested. Especially since the sky was covered with ugly clouds which pushed the pilots not to wait to achieve their performances. By the way, was KTM going to be subject to Honda's rule on its Styrian lands?

Before launching into the arena heated to 23°, here is an overview of the situation.

 

#AustrianGP Moto3™	2016	2017
FP1	1'37.902 Brad Binder	1'37.549 Joan Mir (see here)
FP2	1'37.070 Brad Binder	1'39.136 Aron Canet
FP3	1'36.548 Brad Binder	1'36.829 Enean Bastianini
Qualification	1'36.228 Joan Mir
Warm up	1'37.203 Enea Bastianini
Course	Mir, Binder, Bastianini (see here)
All time lap record	1'36.228 Mir 2016

 

The session began with a reference time of 1'36.989 signed by Joan mir in front of his teammate Law. It also started with two Japanese falls. Tuff et Suzuki landed heavily on the Austrian asphalt, but got up without apparent injuries. Events during which fenati settled in second place while George Martin et Bendsneyder took up residence in the top 5.

At the start of the last quarter of an hour, Canet took the lead in 1'36.910, not without clashing with his teammate bastianini on the track.

The signal of a general offensive led by Bendsneyder, determined to defend the local KTM colors. 1'36.793 was the time to beat. And it wasn't that simple since Mir made a straight move while trying the experiment. Rodrigo confirmed his Brno form by finishing second in front Canet, Oettl et By Giannantonio who pushed Mir outside the top 5. fenati was seventh.

Ten minutes from the end, everyone took refuge in the pits before leaving for a final act promised to be arbitrated by the traffic... Which was already dense just before leaving the pit lane! A spectacle that always leaves you wondering…

The final fight dedicated for the second consecutive time since Brno a Rodrigo smart in front of a Mir satisfied and a Guevara which assured the RBA team a double on the first row. The second consisted of Canet, bastianini et McPhee while the third was populated by Bendsneyder, Migno et Oettl. Di Giannantionio closed the top 10 at one fenati furious with him...

But the Italian will console himself by seeing his rival for the title come down to him due to a best time canceled for an excursion off the track. The Leopard driver will finally start tenth! Danilo is twenty-first.

#AustrianGP Moto3 Qualifying: 

1	19	Gabriel RODRIGO	KTM	1'36.503
2	58	Juanfran GUEVARA	KTM	1'36.615	0.112	0.112
3	44	Aaron CANET	Honda	1'36.690	0.187	0.075
4	33	Enea BASTIANINI	Honda	1'36.716	0.213	0.026
5	17	John MCPHEE	Honda	1'36.790	0.287	0.074
6	64	Bo BENDSNEYDER	KTM	1'36.793	0.290	0.003
7	16	Andrea MIGNO	KTM	1'36.811	0.308	0.018
8	65	Philipp OETTL	KTM	1'36.955	0.452	0.144
9	21	Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO	Honda	1'36.967	0.464	0.012
10	36	Joan Mir	Honda	1'36.989	0.486	0.022
11	5	Roman FENATI	Honda	1'37.006	0.503	0.017
12	11	Livio LOI	Honda	1'37.020	0.517	0.014
13	88	Jorge MARTIN	Honda	1'37.023	0.520	0.003
14	15	Jaume MASIA	KTM	1'37.099	0.596	0.076
15	7	Adam NORRODIN	Honda	1'37.128	0.625	0.029
16	8	Nicholas BULEGA	KTM	1'37.147	0.644	0.019
17	23	Niccolo ANTONELLI	KTM	1'37.196	0.693	0.049
18	71	Ayumu SASAKI	Honda	1'37.309	0.806	0.113
19	48	Lorenzo FROM THE DOOR	Mahindra	1'37.344	0.841	0.035
20	75	Albert Arenas	Mahindra	1'37.348	0.845	0.004
21	95	Jules DANILO	Honda	1'37.405	0.902	0.057
22	41	Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT	Honda	1'37.409	0.906	0.004
23	42	Marcos RAMIREZ	KTM	1'37.607	1.104	0.198
24	14	Tony ARBOLINO	Honda	1'37.730	1.227	0.123
25	12	Marco BEZZECCHI	Mahindra	1'37.871	1.368	0.141
26	24	Tatsuki SUZUKI	Honda	1'37.970	1.467	0.099
27	27	Kaito TOBA	Honda	1'38.099	1.596	0.129
28	84	Jakub KORNFEIL	Peugeot	1'38.108	1.605	0.009
29	6	Maria HERRERA	KTM	1'38.131	1.628	0.023
30	96	Manuel PAGLIANI	Mahindra	1'38.303	1.800	0.172
31	13	Maximilian KOFLER	KTM	1'38.697	2.194	0.394
32	4	Patrick PULKKINEN	Peugeot	1'38.816	2.313	0.119
33	18	Gabriel MARTINEZ-ABREGO	KTM	1'39.009	2.506	0.193