Alex Marquez finished top of the intriguing Moto2 qualifying session at Circuit Of The Americas in Texas, ahead of Sam Lowes and Mattia Pasini.
The 45 minute session began with Alex Marquez leading from Mattia Pasini and Francesco Bagnaia, and it remained that way with no changes anywhere in the top 15 positions until there were 20 minutes left, when Pasini finally improved upon his time. With 15 minutes left, the top protagonists were making no headway into the pole time, with Miguel Olivera only in 8th, and Lorenzo Baldassarri in 11th. Then, with 13 minutes of the session to go, Sam Lowes took initiative on a track he loves, setting a pole time from way under the radar, with Marcel Schrotter, who was following Lowes ending up in 5th.
As has become custom in the Moto2 class, the riders decided with 10 minutes left that they would actually try to set a pole time, as they all pitted for fresh tyres. As they all rode in their new tyres and warmed up, the guy who had gone in first, Xavi Vierge, swooped to put himself up to 5th place. There was no movement other than that until there were only 2 minutes remaining, as Marquez stamped his authority on the session by retaking pole from Lowes by over two tenths of a second, where he would stay until the flag waved. The top four riders were Marquez, Lowes, Pasini and Bagnaia with only one minute left, and it seemed like Bagnaia was the one who was most interested in making the pole his own, and after the first sector of his final lap he was on schedule to take it, but unfortunately made a mistake and had to pull out of the lap, thus ending his charge. At the line Joan Mir would take a brilliant 5th place, and the other notable ride was Fabio Quartararo on the Speed Up breaking into the top 10 in 9th. Miguel Olivera would have a nightmare and finish 12th, and the lone American in the field, Joe Roberts, would bring home his NTS in 27th place. Lorenzo Baldassarri would also have to endure a tough session and dug in for 17th.
For full qualifying results click here.
