The Moto3 world champion will start the race from the front row for the seventh time this season
Máximo Quiles fell just 21 thousandths short of securing the final Moto3 pole position at Phillip Island. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider had set the fastest time a few seconds before the end of the session, but it was ultimately Veda Pratama who claimed top spot on the starting grid after beating him on the final lap. The Indonesian rider has secured his first pole position in the category and will be joined on the grid by Máximo Quiles in second place and Joel Kelso in third. Marco Morelli narrowly missed out on progressing from Q1 and will start from nineteenth place tomorrow.
The rain forecasts proved accurate at the Australian circuit, and this morning’s free practice took place in wet conditions. Track conditions were extremely tricky, and the slightest mistake could lead to a crash. This situation posed no problem for Máximo Quiles: the rider from Murcia led the session by more than half a second and even set a faster lap time than the best Moto2 time – something entirely unusual. In the afternoon, the timed qualifying session took place in dry conditions, and the riders in the category had to adapt once again to a different scenario. The CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team rider started Q2 cautiously, but, following a pit stop to change tyres, he regained his confidence to take the top spot with the allotted time almost up. Quiles still had one last chance to defend pole position, but a yellow flag prevented him from improving on his time (1:35.320) and Veda Pratama snatched pole from him in the dying moments by just 21 thousandths of a second. His team-mate Marco Morelli found himself back in Q1. The Argentine felt more comfortable on the bike than he had on Friday, despite the constantly changing conditions, and at one stage was in the positions that would have secured him a place in Q2. In the final moments, he was overtaken by other riders and dropped to fifth place, meaning he will start from nineteenth on the grid tomorrow, but he remains optimistic that he can fight his way back up the field and build on the positive feelings from today’s session.
2nd Máximo Quiles 1:35.320: “Last year I really enjoyed riding in wet conditions, but after a year the track can change a lot. I felt really good today, but this morning we decided to stop early because the track was getting much worse. I was even riding faster than the best Moto2 time, which really surprised me. I struggled a bit in qualifying; I went out first and wasn’t quite sure what to expect or what condition the track would be in. I was a bit cautious and didn’t feel comfortable; I could see it was raining harder and harder, so I decided to stop because I didn’t want to crash. It was like a ‘reset’: we changed tyres and I got my concentration back. I even told Nico Terol, ‘I’m not going to improve on this, I’m taking it very easy’, but in the end I felt better. It worked out well on me. On the last lap I thought I could improve my time a bit more, but there was a yellow flag and it wasn’t possible. It’s not the first time I’ve had pole position snatched away on the last lap; there’s always that frustration at not managing it, but I didn’t mind too much. We’ll keep trying. Tomorrow we’ll have to get a feel for the track and see just how much we can push.”
19th Marco Morelli 1:36.661: “It was a shame not to make it through to Q2. Despite that, I’m happier than yesterday because the bike feels better, and that’s the most positive thing about today. I was able to ride more comfortably and do so in the way I used to in previous races. Although it hasn’t been reflected in the result, I think we’ve taken a step forward. I’d like tomorrow’s race to be dry so we can keep making progress. We’ll enjoy it and, if all goes well, we’ll be able to fine-tune a few more things.”
