POLe! KTM head their home grid as Pol Espargaro takes the spoils in Styria

Pol Espargaro and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have both earned their first MotoGP™ pole positions in the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria. Taking the spoils in a fierce Q2 at the Red Bull Ring, the Spaniard on the Austrian machine just pipped Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) to the top, with Q1 graduate Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) defying the odds to qualify third just a couple of days after surgery on his scaphoid. However, the Frenchman will start from pitlane on Sunday.

Q1 saw Zarco pull a fast one and move through, the Frenchman impressing to pip Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and deny a few others too. With his pitlane start already decided, it was a lost opportunity for those denied a place, but won fair and square with some superhuman effort - and there was more to come. 

The opening laps in Q2 were tentative but once the riders got one lap under their belt, qualifying kicked off in stunning style at the Styrian GP. Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was the first man to delve into the 1:23s with a 1:23.866, with Zarco slotting into second despite his recently operated scaphoid. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then went onto the provisional front row, before Nakagami took P3.

A raging Red Bull then came flying over the line to snatch provisional pole position from Quartararo, Pol Espargaro taking over at the top by two tenths and moving the goalposts to a 1:23.645. He wouldn’t be at the top of the tree for long though - Nakagami was on a charge and the Japanese star took P1 by 0.043 as a breathless opening stint ended and the Austrian hills fell silent for a brief period, fresh Michelin rubber going in ready for five minutes of MotoGP™ mayhem at the Red Bull Ring.

Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) – who didn’t set a lap time in Q2 after encountering shoulder issues following his FP3 crash – jumped from P11 to P3 with a great lap, before Pol Espargaro then shot to the top of the times by 0.022. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) climbed to P4 and after two sectors, his teammate Mir was on for pole position – and so was Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso. Mir couldn’t hold his advantage in Sectors 3 and 4 though as the Suzuki rider went P3, with Dovizioso slotting into P6.

Meanwhile, Quartararo had slipped from P1 to P7 with just over a minute to go, as his compatriot Zarco went flying onto the front row. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) found himself down in P10 as well, but he was up after two sectors. However, with Pol Espargaro absolutely lightning through Sector 3, Viñales lost time and had to settle for P6. Was there a further late twist in the tale? Pol Espargaro and KTM were all set for celebrating their maiden premier class pole positions, but breath was held as Nakagami was on a flyer. The Honda man was just 0.006 down after Sector 3 but he couldn’t hold on – and his lap was then cancelled for exceeding track limits anyway.

That was it. The cameras panned to the KTM box and it was celebrations galore. It’s a first pole position for the Austrian factory and being able to do it on home soil will make the feeling even sweeter. It’s also Pol Espargaro’s first MotoGP™ pole position, and his attentions will now turn to making it a victory for himself and KTM on Sunday afternoon. Nakagami will line-up in the middle of the front row knowing he has a genuine shout of victory at the Red Bull Ring, and is confident of fighting for the podium.

And what a performance from Zarco, who was third fastest. Surgery on Wednesday, fitness test on Friday, no laps completed in FP4 – third place in Q2. A pitlane start faces the double Moto2™ World Champion on Sunday, but there are definitely some important points up for grabs for the number 5. Fourth place for Mir is his best MotoGP™ qualifying and after finishing second from P6 last weekend, he will start Sunday’s battle brimming with confidence. You know things are looking good when the premier class sophomore looks disappointed with P4 despite a best Q2 performance! He'll start from third too as Zarco's penalty causes a shuffle.

Things didn’t look good for Austrian GP podium finisher Miller in FP4. A crash in FP3 looked to be putting his weekend in serious doubt with Team Manager Francesco Guidotti telling pitlane reporter Simon Crafar that he’s experiencing shoulder pain, but the Australian gritted his teeth to pocket a P5, just 0.120 shy of pole position. He'll start fourth, with Austrian GP polesitter Viñales’ late lap sees the Spaniard start as the leading Yamaha rider - sixth in the session and fifth on the grid. And just 0.198 split those leading six riders in Q2.

Rins starts sixth for the inaugural Grand Prix of Styria, the Spaniard getting the better of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Dovizioso, who were P8 and P9 in the session, respectively, and also shuffle up a place. All three have shown – at least – podium pace this weekend, so it’s going to be a scintillating watch as they try to carve their way through the field. Championship leader Quartararo – despite finishing just 0.286 away from pole – suffered an equal-worst Q2 result in 10th, becoming a third row start. The 2019 Czech GP was the last time he finished this low down the grid and Quartararo starts off the front row for the first time since the 2019 British GP – almost exactly a year ago. Fellow Petronas Yamaha SRT rider Franco Morbidelli and Q1 graduate Danilo Petrucci finished P11 and P12 in Q2, with the top 12 split by just 0.594.

But there are some names missing, right?

After a crash on Saturday - rider ok - Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will start P14 for the Styrian GP as he had a tip off on his final flying lap in Q1. 'The Doctor' was on course to potentially grab P2 in the session but he and his YZR-M1 slid out of contention at Turn 9, giving the Italian plenty of work to do on Sunday afternoon. Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and rookie Brno winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also narrowly missed out on a Q2 place, but the two KTMs will start P12 and P13 as they gain a place back as Zarco moves to pitlane...

That's a wrap on Saturday, but Sunday is where it all counts! A whole host of riders have shown they could have what it takes to win in Styria, so now the wait begins for 14:00 (GMT+2) on Sunday. The Red Bull KTM will charge from pole for the first time, but will it be two victories from three for the newest winners on the block?

Pol Espargaro: "Unbelievable, I feel really pleased. I didn't imagine we could get pole, I was trying to get the front or second row, which would be amazing for us. We were struggling during the weekend to make one fast lap, in the rhythm and pace we're strong but on one lap I was missing this last tenth, making so many mistakes in fast laps like this morning in FP3. But I could do an ok lap by the end in qualifying, trying to stay off the green because it was easy to go on there! I'm super happy about it, all my guys and the whole of KTM deserve this so much. I'm happy for it and them."

Rookie sensation Aron Canet (Openbank Aspar Team) has claimed his maiden Moto2™ pole position thanks to a 1:28.787 in Q2 at the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria, with the Spaniard heading Austrian GP winner and compatriot Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by 0.118. Previous Red Bull Ring polesitter Tetsuta Nagashima makes it two Red Bull KTM Ajo machines on the front row as he bounced back from some tougher weekends.

In Q1 it was Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) heading through ahead of Nagashima, with the two joined by Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) and Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) moving through to Q2. Once the lights went out for that session, it was Free Practice pacesetter Martin fastest out the traps.

The KTM star was leading Garzo and Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) in the opening exchanges, before Q1 graduate Nagashima then went P1. However, Canet was on a charge. The number 44 slammed in a 1:28.787 to lay down the gauntlet to his rivals, with Martin trying to respond shortly after but two tenths adrift as Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) then went P4.

The Australian then crashed unhurt at Turn 1, and Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) took a small tumble at Turn 3 as the duo were both inside the top 10. In tandem, Sky Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi took over in P4 as he followed teammate Luca Marini, and the Italians then swapped track position as Marini got himself up to P9, the Championship leader struggling to make real inroads into the top six....

Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) looked back to his best as the experienced Swiss rider climbed to P7 in Q2, but no one was able to really look like they were going to challenge Canet’s benchmark. That was until Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Nagashima were just a tenth down halfway round the lap with little time remaining... but at the line, neither improved and it was left to a hard-charging Martin to try and topple Canet. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was 0.034 under Canet’s time as he roared past the Sector 3 marker and into Turn 9, but the former Moto3™ World Champion was unable to keep his soaring lap going, crossing the line a tenth down on Canet’s. Result? A rookie pole.

Martin won’t be too disheartened with second on the grid, he's been there before and it turned out ok last week... for his first Moto2™ victory. Nagashima salvaged a front row start after finishing second in Q1, and that’s by far his best qualifying of the season – his previous best being P8 at the Spanish GP. Can the Japanese rider get his Championship charge back on track at the Red Bull Ring?

Fernandez’ P4 in qualifying is his best Saturday result of the season too as a pre-season favourite finds form. Bezzecchi launches from the middle of the second row aiming for his second podium of the season, with Gardner’s crash – luckily – not affecting him too badly. It’s P6 for the Australian, who keeps Lüthi off the second row by 0.051. Both the latter and Garzo set the exact same lap time in Q2 to line-up P7 and P8, with Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) and Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Nicolo Bulega completing the top 10.

Down in 11th, meanwhile, it's Lowes’ worst qualifying result of 2020. The Briton crashed heavily in FP3 and will be feeling the effects of his shoulder injury earlier in the year, while Championship leader Marini had to settle for 12th in Styrian GP qualifying. Dixon and Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) sit between the Italian and title rival Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) as 2020’s leading contenders aim to claw their way through the field on Sunday afternoon...

Plenty has shuffled since last week, and Sunday promises another stunning twist in the title fight. Tune in for the Moto2™ race at 12:20 (GMT+2)!

Aron Canet: "I'm very happy to be here on pole in Moto2, it's a really difficult category for me, all the riders and the rookies. After MotoGP the grip changes a lot, for me it didn't change so much but for others they can't do the time... for that, I was able to take pole. We'll see what happens tomorrow because for sure we'll see different conditions, but with dry conditions I'm very happy with my pace!"

Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) will start the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria from pole, the Argentinean rider coming out on top by just 0.012 to deny Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) three in a row. Fernandez will start second though, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing a front row split by just 0.064.

Under sunny Styrian skies, it was Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) who headed the timesheets in Q1, securing his place in Q2... or not. Drama hit for the Spaniard in the session as he crashed and damaged his machine, then remounting and heading back to the pits. Except the bike was leaking, leaving two more riders behind to crash and a long clean up operation and delay to the next session. For the lapse of judgement, Masia was suspended from Q2, meaning it was only Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Darryn Binder (CIP - Green Power) who would move through and take part.

Once Q2 was underway, we were treated to some late drama as Rodrigo stole pole position away with his final flying lap of the session, chequered flag waving. Before that final attack it was Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) who held provisional pole, but 2020's qualifying sensations Tatsuki Suzuki and Raul Fernandez jumped ahead of him, demoting the Italian to third... and Rodrigo making sure it became fourth.

Behind that top three split by just 0.064, Arbolino will therefore front the second row of the grid, joined there by Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46), who will start from fifth at the Red Bull Ring for the second time in a week, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) in sixth as the Scot proved the fastest of the top three in the Championship.

Half a second behind Rodrigo's 1:36.470 and seventh on the grid will be Leopard Racing's Dennis Foggia, the Italian a fraction clear of Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), who is the man third overall and the second quickest of the top three in the title battle at the moment. it's not by much though, as World Championship leader Albert Arenas (Valresa Aspar Team) did suffer his worst qualifying of 2020, but only to the extent of starting alongside Ogura in ninth as he defends his 28 point lead.

Darryn Binder will no doubt be a strong challenger on Sunday from 10th on the grid, not needing to make up his often customary and impressive 15 or 20 places on race day, and he will line-up on row four alongside another man likely to have his elbows out: Deniz Öncü. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team), Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Antonelli complete the top 15.

That's the grid set for Sunday, although especially in the lightweight class, everything will already be a shuffle by Turn 1. Tune in for another miraculous melee on Sunday as Moto3™ take on the Red Bull Ring again from 11:00 (GMT +2).

Gabriel Rodrigo: "It was a bit difficult because the second to last corner was very slippy, I had a plan to use two tyres, but as the conditions were a bit strange I decided to stay on track and go faster lap by lap. At the end it worked because I already put a nice lap in at the start but on the last lap I improved even more. I'm very happy, after the last two Sundays we needed a bit of energy for the race! We're focused for tomorrow, I think the pace is good so I'm really looking forward to the race." 

Pol Espargaro is on a roll in Styria

Zarco defied a broken scaphoid to go third quickest in qualifying