Izán Guevara had a fast lap cancelled in Q2 of the Moto3 qualifying session on Saturday (18) in Germany, and was left without a time until the final minutes. But he only needed one more attempt to gain the position of honor on the grid
Izán Guevara needed an attempt in the final moments of qualifying on Saturday (18) at Sachsenring to secure the right to start from the top of the grid at the Moto3 German GP. The Aspar rider clocked 1min25s869 to take pole position, 0s295 seconds ahead of Dennis Foggia.
Daniel Holgado also did a good lap in the final moments and completed the front row in third. Ayumu Sasaki was fourth, followed by Tatsuki Suzuki and Ryusei Yamanaka rounding out the top six. Brazilian Diogo Moreira failed to advance to Q2 and will start 19th.
Q1: Öncü lap cancelled, Fernández, Rossi, Artigas and Bartelle advance
The Moto3 riders faced very hot conditions, with thermometers around 31°C, and relative humidity not exceeding 24%. The track temperature, in turn, had already reached 46°C. Tire wear would therefore be a factor, and the drivers still fighting for the four remaining spots in Q2 were soon on track to try to secure lap times.
Xavier Artigas started in front, clocking 1min27s137, but was soon overtaken by Ricardo Rossi, who clocked 1min27s068. Meanwhile, Diego Moreira was fifth, one position away from joining the group of four remaining drivers who would go on to Q2.
As the drivers did their laps, the track improved and, consequently, the lap times dropped. It wasn't long before the best lap was within 1min26s. In the final moments, Deniz Öncü set a 1min26s616 and jumped into the lead, followed by Adrian Fernández, Ricardo Rossi and Xavier Artigas. Moreira was sixth, 0s055 away from the time that would give the Brazilian the chance to continue in the classification.
When Q1 was over, however, it was Fernández who was in the lead. The official count showed the Turkish Tech3 rider only in tenth place. Minutes later, the confirmation: Öncü had his lap cancelled for exceeding the track limits. The replay showed that, indeed, he had committed the infraction.
Better for the four that came in the sequence, especially Matteo Bertelle, who had been fifth and ended up passing to Q2. Moreira was almost there. The Brazilian finished Q1 with the fifth best time.
Q2: Guevara gets pole with 30 seconds to go
In Q2, the moment of truth: John McPhee started in front with a lap of 1min26s751. But it didn't take long for Ayumu Sasaki to jump into the lead, bringing with him Ryusei Yamanaka and Izán Guevara, pushing McPhee into fourth place.
Less than ten minutes to go, Friday's leader Tatsuki Suzuki jumped to second with 1min26s325, just 0s026 behind Sasaki. In the sequence, the computer showed Guevara with no lap time, that is: another penalty applied in qualifying.
And the Spaniard stayed that way until the final 30 seconds, when he crossed the finish line with a flying lap: 1min25s869. First place guaranteed, and he will never get out of there again.