#GermanGP Moto3 Qualifying: Aron Canet on pole under the checkered flag

It was on the very last lap that Aron Canet managed to take pole position by improving the time of World Championship leader Joan Mir. The two Spaniards were ahead of Nicolo Bulega, Marcos Ramirez, Tony Arbolino and Romano Fenati.

#GermanGP Moto3	2016	2017
FP1	1'28.196 Romano Fenati	1'27.868 Jorge Martin
FP2	1'27.496 Enea Bastianini	1'27.179 Joan Mir
FP3	1'27.162 Enea Bastianini	1'27.411 Joan Mir
Qualification	1'27.129 Enea Bastianini	1'26.688 Aron Canet
Warm up	1'40.072 Khairul Idham Pawi
Course	Pawi, Locatelli, Bastianini
All time lap record	1'26.174 Kent 2015

Joan Mir started favorite for this qualifying session, having set the best time in free practice in 1'27.179, 0.325 ahead of second Bo Bendsneyder. Jorge Martin was out (fractured right shin and ankle), and Mir's two main opponents seemed to be Nicolo Bulega and Romano Fenati, respectively fourth and fifth in free practice. Aron Canet only ranked twelfth at 0.8.

The track was dry at the start of the session, but the clouds were threatening. The air temperature was 19° and that of the track 24°. Aron Canet completed the first fast lap in 1'27.329, then Joan Mir improved to 1'27.319. Canet had already improved his personal best time in free practice by 0.7. Tony Arbolino took the lead in 1'27.228.

# Moto3 qualifying is underway in Germany 🇩🇪

Can anyone stop @Joanmir36? #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/uauu19i0rC

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 1, 2017

As rain threatened more and more, Arbolino led from Marcos Ramirez, Joan Mir, Aron Canet, Juanfran Guevara and Nicolo Bulega. Romano Fenati was thirteenth and Jules Danilo twenty-fourth. Fenati moved up to fifth position at 0.180 with 25 minutes remaining.

With rain clouds looming over head everyone is keen to get in a fast lap early on ☔️@tonyarbolino is the fastest out of the blocks so far pic.twitter.com/BbKTEj32Gr

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 1, 2017

Nicolo Bulega took first place with his Sky Racing Team VR46 KTM in 1'27.053, the best time since the start of the weekend. Then Joan Mir took back the leadership in 1'26.933, first time under 1'27. He was 0.8 off Danny Kent's pole position record set in 2015 in 1'26.174. Jules Danilo was twenty-fifth at 1.3.

The first flags signaling rain appeared a quarter of an hour before the checkered flag. All the drivers returned to the pits.

Here comes @Joanmir36 as flies to provisional pole 🔥

Less than 20 minutes to go in # Moto3 qualifying as the rain moves in ☔️ #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/2qg8gwKmHc

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 1, 2017

The rain stopped quickly, and the fairly strong wind gradually dried the track. Several drivers did not yet have satisfactory times, including Danny Kent 17th, Johan McPhee 19th, Fabio di Giannantonio 20th and Andrea Migno 26th. Many came out of the pits 6 minutes from the end, on slicks.

looks like @RedBull_KTM_Ajo are the first to brave the tricky conditions as the sun reappears ☀️#GermanGP pic.twitter.com/eiFXkInQN1

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 1, 2017

The track was completely passable, as proven by Bo Bendsneyder who moved up to fifth position. Aron Canet also improved and moved to fourth at 0.2. Then he moved into first position in 1'26.688.

Timed to perfection 👌@aroncanet44 snatches pole at the last#GermanGP pic.twitter.com/A0fkUxyN8E

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 1, 2017

Aron Canet will start Sunday on pole ahead of Joan Mir, Nicolo Bulega, Marcos Ramirez, Tony Arbolino and Romano Fenati. Jules Danilo qualified twenty-sixth.

# Moto3 Qualifying 🏁@aroncanet44 leaves it late to bag pole ahead of Championship leader @Joanmir36 and @nbulega #GermanGP pic.twitter.com/bxNbVPPMuT

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 1, 2017

Qualification results (thank you to our friends crash.net):

1. Aron canet SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 1m 26.688s
2. Joan mir SPA Leopard Racing (Honda) 1m 26.933s
3. Nicholas Bulega ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 1m 26.981s
4. Marcos Ramirez SPA Platinum Bay Real Estate (KTM) 1m 27.186s
5. Tony Arbolino ITA SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) 1m 27.228s
6. Roman Fenati ITA Marinelli Rivacold Snipers (Honda) 1m 27.254s
7. Philipp Oettl GER Südmetall Schedl GP Racing (KTM) 1m 27.284s
8. Will Bendsneyder NED Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 1m 27.297s
9. Enea Bastianini ITA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 1m 27.307s
10. John mcphee GBR British Talent Team (Honda) 1m 27.414s
11. Juanfran Guevara SPA RBA BOE Racing Team (KTM) 1m 27.450s
12. Tatsuki suzuki JPN SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) 1m 27.466s
13. Livio Law BEL Leopard Racing (Honda) 1m 27.505s
14. Adam Norrodin MAL SIC Racing Team (Honda) 1m 27.515s
15. gabriel rodrigo ARG RBA BOE Racing Team (KTM) 1m 27.528s
16. Danny Kent GBR Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 1m 27.539s
17. Darryn binder RSA Platinum Bay Real Estate (KTM) 1m 27.581s
18. Marco Bezzecchi ITA CIP (Mahindra) 1m 27.636s
19. Jakub Kornfeil CZE Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 1m 27.680s
20. Kaito Toba JPN Honda Team Asia (Honda) 1m 27.731s
21. Ayumu Sasaki JPN SIC Racing Team (Honda) 1m 27.781s
22. Manuel Pagliani ITA CIP (Mahindra) 1m 27.782s
23. Andrea Migno ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 1m 27.824s
24. Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA Aspar Mahindra Moto3 (Mahindra) 1m 27.899s
25. Fabio DiGiannantonio ITA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 (Honda) 1m 27.944s
26. Jules Danilo FRA Marinelli Rivacold Snipers (Honda) 1m 28.071s
27. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat THA Honda Team Asia (Honda) 1m 28.113s
28. Raul fernandez SPA Aspar Mahindra Moto3 (Mahindra) 1m 28.134s
29. Maria Herrera SPA AGR Team (KTM) 1m 28.266s
30. Patrick Pulkkinen END Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 1m 28.806s
31. Tim Georgi GER Freudenberg Racing Team (KTM) 1m 29.296s