Qualifying report
Moto3 Losail
Qatar Moto3: Suzuki takes first pole of 2020 by 0.008s
Tatsuki Suzuki clinched the first Moto3 pole of the new decade, after beating Raul Fernandez by 0.008 seconds in Qatar Grand Prix qualifying.
Lewis Duncan
Edited: Mar 8, 2020, 8:05 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The SIC58 Squadra Corse rider had to go through Q1 after missing out on a top 14 place across the three practice sessions.
Suzuki set the pace immediately in the second 15-minute session on Saturday evening at Losail, guiding his Honda to a 2m04.815s before bailing back to his box.
No one challenged Suzuki’s time on their first runs, though his provisional pole did come under threat late on when last-minute repairs to his seat meant he was unable to get across the line for a second time attack.
Ajo KTM’s Fernandez found himself a useful slipstream on the run along the massive one kilometre pit straight, but came up just 0.008s short and will have to start from second – his first front row since last year’s British Grand Prix.
Three-time Moto3 race winner Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) just made it into the Q2 graduation places at the end of the first session and went onto complete the first front row of 2020 with a 2m04.925s.
Fernandez’s late improvement demoted CIP’s Darryn Binder to the head of the second row in fourth, with Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura and the Leopard Honda of Jaume Masia alongside.
Andrea Migno will start his return race to the VR46 team seventh, beating Tech3 rookie Deniz Oncu, Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee and Tony Arbolino (Snipers Team).
Gresini’s Gabriel Rodrigo was fastest in Q1, but could only muster 13th in the end after he had to abandon his final time attack lap due to a mechanical issue with his Honda machine.
New Leopard signing Dennis Foggia was denied a place in Q2 at the death of the first 15-minute session, with Arenas’ late improvement shuffling the ex-VR46 Academy rider out.
He’ll start 19th on Sunday, having missed a Q2 place by just 0.035s, while Qatar test pacesetter Filip Salac starting alongside after the Snipers Team rider crashed late on.
Salac tucked the front of his Honda after getting out of control on the way into the Turn 6 left-hander on his final lap and was lucky not to wipe out Niccolo Antonelli’s SIC58 stand-in Jose Julian Garcia.
There was controversy at the end of the session, when Alonso Lopez (Max Racing Team) made what appeared to be deliberate contact with Suzuki at the first turn after punching his shoulder in frustration just after the pair took the chequered flag.
Q2 results:
Cla # Rider Bike Time Gap 1 24 Tatsuki Suzuki Honda 2'04.815 2 25
Raúl Fernández KTM 2'04.823 0.008 3 75
Albert Arenas KTM 2'04.925 0.110 4 40
Darryn Binder KTM 2'05.026 0.211 5 79
Ai Ogura Honda 2'05.065 0.250 6 5
Jaume Masia Honda 2'05.086 0.271 7 16
Andrea Migno KTM 2'05.129 0.314 8 53
Deniz Öncü KTM 2'05.176 0.361 9 17
John McPhee Honda 2'05.242 0.427 10 14
Tony Arbolino Honda 2'05.327 0.512 11 52
Jeremy Alcoba Honda 2'05.343 0.528 12 27
Kaito Toba KTM 2'05.421 0.606 13 2
Gabriel Rodrigo Honda 2'05.512 0.697 14 11
Sergio García Honda 2'05.586 0.771 15 92
Yuki Kunii Honda 2'05.843 1.028 16 13
Celestino Vietti Ramus KTM 2'05.906 1.091 17 99 Carlos Tatay KTM 2'06.003 1.188 18 55
Romano Fenati Husqvarna 2'06.165 1.350 View full results
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Qatar Moto3: Fernandez fastest in Friday practice
Next article Qatar Moto3: Arenas takes KTM's 100th win by 0.053s
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Lewis Duncan
Marquez “comfortable” on Ducati MotoGP bike “but not ready for podium”
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
Mar 7, 2024
Marquez “comfortable” on Ducati MotoGP bike “but not ready for podium”
Brivio: Trackhouse offers 'great opportunity' for MotoGP and NASCAR worlds to collide
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
Mar 4, 2024
Brivio: Trackhouse offers 'great opportunity' for MotoGP and NASCAR worlds to collide
Marini urges patience at Honda as new MotoGP season approaches
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar Official Testing
Feb 22, 2024
Marini urges patience at Honda as new MotoGP season approaches
Latest news
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
13 min
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
1 h
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
3 h
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe