Migno claims pole during a mixed condition qualifying session on slick tires.
Q1
The start of the Moto3 session saw a dry track with high wind conditions, the threat of rain looming overhead.
World Championship leader Pedro Acosta was once again in Q1. His best qualifying position of the season was when he qualified 9th at the DOHA Grand Prix. With the exception of Acosta, every rider in the session is 10th and below in the championship.
Acosta led the group out onto the track, followed by Maximilian Kofler.
Kaito Toba shoots up to the top of the session with 10 minutes left, but it is bound to change. He is followed by Tatsuki Suzuki and Izan Guevara. On his next flying lap, Acosta almost loses the bike but saves it in an impressive fashion. Yuki Kunii was not as fortunate, as he highsided out of the session in the chicane.
With four minutes left, Toba was still leading the session, followed by the Rivacold Snipers Team Filip Salec, Acosta behind him in 3rd. The top four of the session will continue on to Q2. The track temperatures are making it difficult to keep the heat in the tires, which results in the riders being prone to individual incidents as we see multiple riders roll out of laps to avoid crashes.
As the checkered flag comes out, Takuma Matsuyama crashes during his best lap.
The riders who will move into Q2 are Suzuki, Foggia, Salec and Alcoba.
Q2
The final qualifying session for Moto3 was clouded by the ever darkening sky. The worry is that the riders will need to change their set-ups for the rain mid-session or that an incident in the cold would have them qualify lower on the grid.
Not even two minutes in the session, rain begins to fall. The riders instantly file into the pitlane as their teams put on the wet tires and adjust the settings accordingly. In the midst of the riders returning to the pits, Niccolo Antonelli suffers from a multiple rider collision involving Riccardo Ross- both riders ok.
With less than 10 minutes left, the rain has seemingly stopped and the riders head out once again on a freshly wet track. Most opted for the full wet race set-up, but Andrea Migno kept on his front slick and rear slick tires.
The first laps come in with Gabriel Rodrigo, Romano Fenati and Tatsuki Suzuki on the podium. It doesn’t last long as the Red Bull KTM’s loom over the top riders.
Migno takes provisional pole with an impressive 1:49:546, his gamble with slick tires paying off. McPhee, who has yet to claim any points in the 2021 season, briefly takes pole but is once again outdone by Migno. They are ahead of Oncu and Masia, who continually switch places. Filip Salec is out of the session as he highsides at turn 14.
The checkered flag is out with Rossi briefly taking pole from Migno. Thankfully, he was able to make it on one last flying lap and kept pole with a 1:47:407, securing his second pole of the 2021 season. While he takes pole, second on the grid goes to Rossi and third goes to Masia.
While many big names did not make it in the top positions, qualifying for Moto3 has little effect on who will win or lose. The biggest issues the riders who qualified lower will see is the buildup that happens in the chicane, where many incidents have occurred this weekend.
With rain on the forecast and drama sure to unfold, be sure to queue in for the race tomorrow.
