Moto2 Qatar 2 Qualifying: Sam Lowes is the boss

The Moto2 grid meets again for qualifying after a final free practice session which resembled a desert storm operation, literally. Dantesque conditions that Sam Lowes mastered, but the reference time of rookie Raul Fernandez, which is also the fastest ever achieved by a Moto2 in 2021 at Losail, still holds…

The young Red Bull KTM rider Ajo, who stood out during the FP2, thus retains the advantage in the combined ranking ahead of Fabio DiGiannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Remy gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) remain in their wake, accompanied byAi Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and, therefore, the best of FP3, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing).

Celestine Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46), Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Nicholas Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) remained in the same way within the Top 10. Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40), Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team), Augusto Fernandez (ELF Marc VDS Racing) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) are the last automatic qualifiers for Q2.

What will these qualifications have in store for us? Moto2 ? An exercise which will be carried out in two stages with a Q1 which will retain the four best drivers who will join the 14 drivers who have already won their ticket for Q2 since FP2... Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far.

Qatar 1 Moto2	2021 GP1	2021 GP2
FP1	2'00.305 Marco Bezzecchi	1'59.931 Fabio Di Giannantonio
FP2	1'58.959 Sam Lowes	1'58.541 Raul Fernandez
FP3	2'00.335 Arón Canet	2.00.878 Sam Lowes
Q1	1'59.354 Fabio Di Giannantonio	1.59.592 Jorge Navarro
Q2	1'58.726 Sam Lowes	1'59.055 Sam Lowes
Warm Up	2'00.332 Joe Roberts
Course	Lowes, Gardner, Di Giannantonio
All time lap record	1'58.136 Joe Roberts 2020

It's 24,4° in the air and 26,3° on the track. Night has set in.

The wind has died down slightly but is still resisting, blowing the pilots' caps, Alex Rins in fact the costs, we saw him chasing his headgear!

Marcos Ramirez declared “unfit” following his fall last weekend: crack of the humerus.

Q1 session:

At the start of the session, it is NAVARRO who is the fastest in 2.00.433s ahead Arbolino, Bendsneyder and Dixon. Navarro does the job and continues his effort he sets a lap time of 1.59.766s.

Dixon, Virgo and Arbolino complete this top4 3 minutes before the end of the session.

NAVARRO does the job and further improves his time in 1.59.592s. Bendsneyder also made the effort and took 2nd position in front Arenas et Dixon.

The qualifiers for Q2 are: Navarro, Bendsneyder, Arenas and Dixon. 

  Full Q1 results:

 

Q2 session:

It is Gardner who takes the lead in 2.00.449s in front Manzi, Schrotter, Fernandez and Vietti.

Canet goes on the offensive in 1.59.785s, Bendsneyder imitates him in the effort by positioning himself 2nd. Lowes, Arenas et Beaubier complete this top5.

For 49 thousandths, Bezzecchi takes provisional pole (1.59.736s); Lowes very discreet until now takes the lead with a time achieved in 1.59.055s. R. Fernandez is 2nd best time ahead Dixon, Bezzecchi et Gardner.

Bezzecchi comes to position itself 2nd best time and downgrades R. Fernandez At. 3rd row. He was pushed back just as quickly to 4th position because Gardner takes 2nd position in 1.59.320s.

The top5 is as follows 7s from the end of the session: Lowes, Gardner, Bezzecchi, R. Fernandez et Dixon

              Full results: 

Classification credit: MotoGP.com