Moto2 Indonesia: Maiden pole for British star Jake Dixon, Lowes third
Jake Dixon founded the fastest lap so far of the new Pertamina Mandalika track to secure his first world championship pole position ahead of the Moto2 Indonesian Grand Prix, round two of the championship.
The Inde Gas Gas Aspar rider secured the first pole for both himself and his team after building on his practice form where he was top five in every session, no matter the weather, topping the dry FP2 before qualifying.
- Indonesian MotoGP: Full results from Free Practice 3
- Indonesian Moto GO: Full results from Free Practice 2
Looking confident in his performance and machinery, the number 96 slotted in near compatriot Sam Lowes on track in the latter stages of the session as the duo vied for the top spot.
Dixon secured it with a record lap of the new track - a 1m 35.799s.
Lowes was on good form too and on top of his injury woes, but pulled out of a last run at the top slot on the grid after a huge warning wobble at turn seventeen, leaving him third for Elf Marc VDS, with two Brits on the front row.
The pair are split by Lowes’ old team-mate Augusto Fernandez, just 0.012s slower after he stepped up to the challenge in the closing stages of the session.
Now at Red Bull KTM Ajo, the pair did not see eye to eye on track with an altercation on the cool down lap over the yellow flag conditions, which was all settled by the time they parked up in parc ferme.
Fourth went to Somkiat Chantra who had set the early benchmark lap in the session for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia after progressing from Q1 with the top time.
Bo Bendsneyder was competitive on his way to fifth for the home sponsored Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team.
Albert Arenas made late gains to secure sixth for Inde GasGas Aspar, cementing a great day for the team. The Spaniard was one of several riders to fall at the already notorious turn two, along with Jorge Navarro and Cameron Beaubier.
Qatar winner and pole man Celestino Vietti had to settle for seventh this time out.
Tony Arbolino secured eighth on the second Elf MArc VDS entry and class veteran Simone Corsi made the most of moving up through Q1 to claim ninth for MV Agusta Forward Racing.
Pedro Acosta completes the top ten but has a long lap penalty to serve in the race after crashing his Red Bull KTM Ajo under yellow flag conditions in FP2. The Moto3 champion was the best placed of the Moto2 rookie riders.
Cameron Beaubier recovered from his spill to take eleventh for American Racing. Fellow American Joe Roberts just missed out on moving up to Q2 with his final run falling just short, leaving him 19th for Italtrans.
In opposite fortunes to Moto2, most of the rookie riders had a day to forget - Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) had a bike issue at the start of the session but recovered for 17th.
There were also falls for Alessandro Zaccone, Gabriel Rodrigo and Sean Dylan Kelly, all in Q1.
