Australia’s Remy Gardner is on pole in Moto2 in a session that could’ve ended badly.
Q1
Moto2 ended the final Saturday of MotoGP 2020 with their qualifying session, and Marco Bezzecchi needed to get out of Q1 to stay in the championship hunt. Four riders make it out of Q1 to join the top 14 in Q2.
The early leader was Jorge Martin, who could well have been Champion had he not caught Covid-19. Bezzecchi was crucially in that top four, with Niccolo Bulega and Marcel Schrotter there too, but with five minutes on the clock, there was a change coming.
When crunch time occurred, everyone was on the money, all of the top 8 up in sector 1. It may have been a track condition change, but few people improved. The only change being Bo Bendsneyder kicking Schrotter out of the top 4.
Q2
Then it was Q2. The four title contenders were in this top 14, but Sam Lowes is battling through a hand injury after a big crash in FP3. Bastianini was the title favourite but needed to qualify well. As did outside contenders Lowes and Luca Marini.
Early on, there was a terrifying crash for Aron Canet, the Spaniard high-siding over the crest of turn 8. It was a blind turn and everyone watched on anxiously as riders dodged him and the bike. Thankfully though, he scurried off the track without harm.
It was an injured Lowes leading halfway through, followed by Adrian Fernandez and Nicolo Bulega. Bastianini and Bezzecchi needed to find time, and Marini wanted a front row.
Then the pole race ramped up. Marini took provisional pole, with Fabio diGiannantonio, Lowes, and Martin all within 0.05 seconds of him. The battle was sure to be close as rider after rider acquainted themself with the front row. Then Remy Gardner showed his practice promise and set a blistering time to take provisional pole. Both Bastianini and Xavi Vierge tried, but nothing could topple the Australian from the top spot. Joining him on the front row were Marini and Fabio diGiannantonio. Title contenders Lowes and Bastianini were fourth and fifth, with Bezzecchi a lowly 12th.
