2024 Qatar Moto2: Canet captures first pole of the season with lap record

Aron Canet may have changed team, but the Spainard began where he left off, bookending his Moto2 seasons with consecutive poles.

After taking the top spot for Pons on his farewell ride for the team, Canet this time found record pace with Fantic Racing as he pushed his Kalex to new limits in the intermediate class, posting a new best around the Lusail track of 1m 56.768s.

The intermediate class have also made the switch to Pirelli rubber and just like in the lightweight class, the lap record soon tumbled, with Canet originally taking it to a new low in P2, only to nudge the benchmark lap even lower.

With just two minutes left to challenge his fellow countryman, Alonso Lopez looked to respond to Canet’s time attack and his best was also under the old record, finishing 0.102s behind on his final run to the chequered flag for second on the grid for Sync Speed Up, proving the Boscoscuro is once again competitive in a field of mainly Kalex machinery.

Albert Arenas made his way through Q1 and his time on track as the sun dipped at the desert track allowed him to acclimatise to the cooler conditions. Pushing on in Q2 the Gresini rider completed an all Spanish front row.                                                                                                                                       

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Manuel Gonzalez was the last rider out able to have a say on the final order of the grid. His final lap saw him climb from ninth to fourth on the second QJ Motor Gresini entry, cementing a great day for the team and pushing back many of the intermediate class favourites.

2023 runner-up Tony Arbolino was immediately on the receiving end of his success, shuffled back a place to fifth on his Elf Marc VDS bike after working into the session.

Barry Baltus (RW - Idrofoglia Racing GP), another Q1 graduate, claimed fifth as the clock hit zero and only dropped back one position to start from sixth as the final riders crossed the line.

After dominating the second half of the 2023 season, and finishing testing as the rider to beat, Fermin Aldeguer returned and continued to be a force to be reckoned with in practice in the Moto2 class.

After holding onto their man, the Spaniard faltered slightly in the first crucial session of the season for the Sync Speed Up team. Slow to get off the mark and then subject to bad timing as Zonta Van Den Goorburgh’s fall brought out yellow flags, the much fancied rider had it all to do to limit his grid position damage in the final minutes.

Sixteenth as he began his final run, the #54 rode a strong final lap, but could only find enough on track for seventh.

UPDATE: After the session, Aldeguer was handed a three place grid demotion for slow riding and disturbing another rider (#75, Arenas) in Q2.

Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) gained a huge tow to the line from Lopez, who let him know he was aware with a money hand gesture, using it to climb to eighth on the grid.

Izan Guevara took ninth for Aspar, while Van Den Goorbergh had done enough to hold on to a top ten start despite his crash at the final corner. That fall hid much of the progress made by the #84.

At 18 years old, the youngest in the class was immediately fast at Lusail, finishing the first practice session second, with only Aldeguer ahead. The Netherlands rider continued that form into P2, the next dry track session, where he had placed third for RW -Idroffoglia Racing GP.

Celestino Vietti had a session to forget, in 16th at the close, now for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

Q1 - Roberts fightback begins

Joe Roberts took the top spot on the grid in Qatar just a few months ago, and featured near the top of the timesheets at the Jerez test on his return to American Racing.

That didn’t translate to success - Friday saw the American off the pace in 26th in the first session with a technical issue which saw him spend much of the session in his pit box. With their second session a washout after a very rare downpour in the desert, all the work was to come on qualifying day.

The American had look to fix his issues when it mattered, moving through to the second session with the top time after a well timed fast final run.

Moving into Q2, Roberts was one of the riders who saw their lap cancelled by the only crash in the session. Down the bottom of the timesheets with the pressure on, the #16 did make forward moves with his final lap, climbing to 14th on the grid from 18th, but Roberts Q1 lap remained his best of the day.

He was joined in Q2 by Arenas, who was just 0.001s slower in Q1, as well as Baltus and Jeremy Alcoba (12th).

Filip Salac was the rider who just missed out in fifth, leaving the Elf Marc VDS rider 19th overall after flirting with the top four earlier in the session.

Deniz Oncu was the best of the rookie riders, putting in personal bests late on, the Turkish rider couldn’t quite find progression pace and was sixth in the session for Red Bull KTM Ajo (20th on the grid). Right behind, Senna Agius, also classed as a rookie, used his previous appearances in the intermediate class to helping him to 21st for the Liqui Moly Husqvarna team.

Injuries and Replacements - Dixon Out

The Moto2 class was due to produce a full grid for the first race of the season.

Unfortunately Jake Dixon was declared unfit following his practice fall.

The second practice session had become vital track time after an unscheduled heavy shower destroyed the first session where times would count. P1 was a washout with only four riders daring to head out on track, with not only spray and the floodlight glare to deal with, but the sand which causes the dust was turning to mud as the four riders who went out tried to circulate.

That left Dixon as eager as anyone to get a fast time in during P2. he appeared to run slightly wide looking to make gains in his group on track and left the clean line. The British rider paid the price by being launched over his bike, his heavy highside lead to a trip to the medical centre.

The #96 was later transferred to hospital for a CT scan.

The time Dixon registered before the crash left him 24th overall after practice, but he was eventually ruled out for the rest of the Qatar weekend.