Jorge Navarro has taken the final Moto2 pole position of the season on home turf, but he had close company from rookie Jorge Martin at the Valenciana Grand Prix.
The two Spaniards are split by just 0.017, with Stefano Manzi claiming a maiden front row start of the season for MV Agusta Temporary Forward in third.
Navarro’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio was the early pacesetter in Moto2 Q2, but the Italian’s session would soon end in the gravel trap at Turn 5. With seven minutes to go ‘Diggia’ remained top as his 2018 Moto3 teammate Martin slotted himself into P2, however, and it was then Manzi’s turn to get even closer as the gap was cut to 0.039.
Free Practice timesheet topper Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then took second, but soon the tables turned and it was another Speed Up at the summit – Navarro going 0.185 faster than anyone and Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) going second quickest.
It wasn’t done there though. Manzi then went second ahead of his fellow VR46 Academy rider Marini to all-but seal MV’s first Moto2 front row of the season. It wouldn’t prove to be P2 though, as that went to Martin in the dying stages of the session as two Spaniards sit first and second at their home round – Navarro a Valencian too. Manzi’s class weekend continues as he picks up his best-ever Grand Prix front row start.
Marini had to settle for P4 in the end, ahead of Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP), who will aim to claim the 2019 runners-up spot from the middle of the second row. Di Giannantonio could do nothing more than watch on as he slipped to P6 from provisional pole.
Binder will have been hoping for more and he’ll scrap with Lüthi for P2 in the World Championship from the front of a third row completed by Augusto Fernandez (FlexBox HP 40) and Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team). Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top 10.
Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Mattia Pasini (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2), Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) and Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) were next up, ahead of 2019 World Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) in P15.
We look set for a sensational final Moto2 race of 2019, so tune in for it live at 12:20 local time (GMT+1) on Sunday!
Qualifying results – Top 3:
1 – Jorge Navarro (SPA – Speed Up) 2’05.244
2 – Jorge Martin (SPA – KTM) +0.017
3 – Stefano Manzi (ITA – MV Agusta) +0.172
