Moto2 Malaysia Qualifying: Rise of Ai Ogura who takes pole

Before this meeting in Malaysia, at the Australian GP, ​​Alonso Lopez won his second victory in Moto2 after the San Marino GP. This is also Boscoscuro's second victory in the category. This is also the second non-Kalex victory in Moto2 since the start of the season. This is the first time there has been more than one non-Kalex victory in a Moto2 season since 2019, when KTM took five victories. With Pedro Acosta winning in Italy and Aragon, and Alonso Lopez winning in San Marino and Australia, it is the first time two rookies have won more than once in a Moto2 season since the category's introduction in 2010 .

Acosta finished second at the Australian GP, ​​making it his fourth time on the podium in his rookie Moto2 season with Italy and Aragon where he won and Germany where he finished P3 . With Lopez et Acosta, Australia is also the first country where a rookie achieves a double in Moto2 since Austria last year, where Raul fernandez had imposed itself in front of Ai Ogura.

Jake dixon finished P3 at the Australian GP for his fifth Moto2 podium, all achieved this year with Austin, Assen, Silverstone and Austria also third places. Augusto Fernandez fell at the Australian GP, ​​it is the third time this year that he has not crossed the finish line with Argentina and Portugal.

The 10 Moto2 races that took place at Sepang were won by eight riders: Roberto Rolfo (2010), Tom Lüthi (2011), Alex De Angelis (2012), Tito Rabat (2013), Maverick Viñales (2014), Johann zarco (2015 and 2016), Miguel Oliveira (2017), Luca Marini (2018) and Brad Binder (2019).

Only three of them have won from pole position: Tom Lüthi (2011), Tito Rabat (2013), Johann Zarco (2016). Therefore, none of the current full-time Moto2 riders have won in this category on the circuit or placed on the podium on the circuit in this category.

What will these qualifiers for the Moto2 version of the Malaysian Grand Prix have in store for us? Before you know it, here is the table that summarizes the facts known so far.

Moto2 Sepang™	2019	2022
FP1	2'06.300 Tetsuta Nagashima	2'06.816 Augusto Fernandez
FP2	2'05.968 Jorge Martin	2'07.879 Manuel Gonzalez
FP3	2'04.769 Brad Binder	2'06.635 Ai Ogura
Q1	2'05.897 Augusto Fernández	2'07.062 Joe Roberts
Q2	2'05.244 Alex Marquez	2'06.405 Ai Ogura
Warm-up	2'05.904 Luca Marini
Course	B. Binder, Marquez, Lüthi
All time lap record	2'04.769 Brad Binder(2019)

Ai Ogura was fastest during the third free practice session of the Moto2 category at Sepang, the penultimate round of the 2022 World Championship. The Team Asia rider stopped the time at 2'06.635 ahead Tony Arbolino (Marc VdS) for around 4 tenths and Alonso lopez (SpeedUp) for 0.451s which made the show

Fourth beat for Augusto Fernandez (KTM Ajo) ahead of Jake Dixon (Aspar) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). Follows with the seventh beat Fermin Aldeguer (SpeedUp) in front Aron canet (Flexbox HP40) and Marcel schrotter (Intact GP). Somkiat Chantra completes the top ten. It will be noted that Schrotter also left its mark…

It's 31.1° in the air and 46.9° on the track: the sun has just appeared

Q1 session

Lowes is forfeited.

Roberts takes control in 2.07.062s in front Salac, Dalla Porta and Alcoba.

Fall of Antonelli who nevertheless leaves.

3.47 seconds from the goal, Roberts holds on in 2.07.062s ahead Salac, Dalla Porta and Antonelli.

Drive barely…he is 6th

End of session and the 4 drivers who will join their friends in Q2 are: Roberts, Salac, Dalla Porta and Antonelli.

Q2 session:

It's 33'2° in the air and 48'8° on the track: the sun is holding out for the moment

Ogura ready for the fight! for the championship

Salac falls in turn 9, he returns to the track.

Arbolino signs the reference time in 2.06.488s in front Canet, Lopez, Dixon and Bendsneyder.

Ogura takes the lead in 2.06.405s. Arbolino, Canet, Dixon and Gonzalez complete this provisional top5. Fernandez is 6th

End of session and it's Ogura who takes pole in front Arbolino and Canet. Fernandez is 6th.