Despite crashing out in the morning session at the Sachsenring circuit, Jake Dixon nabbed pole position in the Moto2 Qualifying at the German GP. Barry Baltus and Tony Arbolino placed second and third, while our championship leaders were nowhere to be seen. Find out what happened to them below.
Less Rain, But Less Grip
After Collin Veijer fell victim to The Waterfall in Free Practice 2, his team did well to get the bike back up and running for Q1. Jake Dixon was another who had a scary crash in the morning, limping as he returned to the garage. Despite the discomfort, the British rider went out for the session. Surprisingly, Diogo Moreira had a quiet Friday, which placed him in the hunt for Q2 advancement.
The Moto2 qualifying began as soon as the Moto3 sessions, which were delayed due to red-flag conditions. Despite the rain lessening, there was still a lot of water on the track. If they wanted to move through to Q2, the riders would have to stick to the dry racing lines as much as possible. Barry Baltus was first to top the timesheet, but Dixon battled for the position.
Some riders came in to change tyres, struggling with performance and a lack of grip in the damp conditions. In the final flying laps, the yellow flag came out with the checkered flag. In the end, Baltus, Dixon, Izan Guevara, and Albert Arenas advanced to the next session.
A Shoot Out at the Checkered Flag
Tony Arbolino dominated the early morning session, but he had to contend with Moto2 World Championship leaders Manuel González and Arón Canet. The Italian was the first out and first on top, before Baltus came up on the timesheet.
As the session progressed and the track continued to dry, rider performance began to improve. Baltus was fastest, and it seemed no one could catch him. Canet came off in a big Turn 7 crash, bringing yellow flags in Sectors 2 and 3. The Spaniard was sent to the medical centre to get checked out. Senna Agius still managed to steal pole from Baltus, but not for long, as Agius came down in the same sectors as Canet. It all came down to the wire after the checkered flag, Dixon securing the top spot.
Top 12 On the Grid
At this point, the weather forecast is uncertain whether we will see rain on Sunday or not. A wet start could prove disastrous in tomorrow’s Moto2 race. Those riders who do make it out of the first turn will need to use the knowledge they picked up on grip today.
Given the results of today’s qualifying session, we’re seeing a very different line-up than we are used to on a Sunday. Could this impact the championship chances of González and Canet? All will be revealed as we go racing in Germany tomorrow.