Moto3 Sepang: Back-to-back poles for rapid Ramirez
The arrival of more light rain did not stop a late flurry of activity in qualifying for the Moto3 Malaysian Grand Prix, with Marcos Ramirez taking pole position after his final flying lap as the chequered flag waved.
The Leopard Racing rider followed his team-mate, reigning champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta, who acted as the perfect target in the tricky conditions, working together to make slipstream gains aboard their Hondas to help Ramirez to pole. Dalla Porta starts seventh.
He is joined on the front row by Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who came into qualifying fastest after topping FP3, is second despite his final run not counting as he had already taken the flag, though he still put in a fast lap racing Albert Arenas all the way around.
John McPhee also failed to get his bike around in time, but his early banker in case the rain came into play proved to be wise as it held on to third for the British rider and was just 0.232s slower than the final pole run giving his Petronas Sprinta Racing team a front row start ahead of their home grand prix. McPhee is also the top KTM rider.
Arenas claimed fourth under pressure from Suzuki, the Gaviota Angel Nieto Team rider proved to be the best of the Q1 graduates, using his damp track time to his advantage.
Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) was once again the best of the rookies, tussling with Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power) through the final moments of Q2 with both moving up the timesheets - Vietti starts fifth with Binder alongside him in sixth.
Ayumu Sasaki set the eighth best time on the second Petronas entry, Gabriel Rodrigo will sit in ninth on the grid for Gresini, while Alonso Lopez was helped around by his Estrella Galicia team-mate Sergio Garcia to propell him to a top ten start.
Aron Canet survived a wobble as he struggled for grip in the wet. He will attempt to keep hold of second in the overall standings from twelfth on the grid for Sterilgarda Max Racing Team.
After coming through Q1 with Arenas, Masia (who starts 11th) and Can Oncu (16th), Niccolo Antonelli’s injuries seemed to get the better of him. As the rest of the riders started their final flying laps he packed up his helmet in the pits having not set a Q2 time, leaving him in 18th.
Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers), a double winner this season and still in with a shot of finishing second in the overall standings, got shuffled out of the Q1 advancement places in the final seconds, leaving him fifth in the session - which equates to 19th on the grid.
Tom Booth-Amos (CIP Green Power) couldn’t quite find the track position or space to build on his first top ten finish last time out in Australia, after contact with a slowing Oncu he finished qualifying 25th.
