The South African pulls out two tenths on Rodrigo, with Suzuki completing the front row despite a crash in Q2
Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) showed more good MotorLand form on Saturday at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon, the South African pulling out two tenths to head the field and the grid. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) slots into second, to be exact 0.181 back, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing an all-Honda front row.
Q1
Q1 saw Suzuki looking for, and finding, a way through and he ended the session more than half a second clear of Filip Salač (CarXpert PrüstelGP), Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power), the latter the last rider to move through despite a crash at Turn 7.
There was a big gap behind the top four too, with four tenths separating Toba from Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama), who ended Q1 in fifth.
Q2
It was Binder’s second lap that saw him take to the top in Q2, and uncharacteristically for the lightweight class, that’s where he stayed. No one could trouble his 1:57.724, and it was Rodrigo he pipped to it as well. But the Argentinean found some more time later in the session to improve but not challenge for pole, forced to settle for second.
Suzuki was sitting pretty near the top but the Japanese rider then crashed and forfeited the right to reply, another forced to settle. Championship challenger Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) lost out on third by just 0.093, shuffled off the front row late on, but points leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), running in tandem with teammate Jaume Masia, is on Row 3 so it’s still advantage Garcia on Saturday.
The Grid
The front row of Binder, Rodrigo and Suzuki are shadowed by Garcia in fourth, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) looking to bounce back from a technical issue at Silverstone from fifth on the grid in Aragon. The second row is completed by Friday’s fastest rider, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), after his third best qualifying ever.
Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) are next up, with Acosta in P9 locking out Row 3. Lorenzo Fellon’s (SIC58 Squadra Corse) good weekend continued as the French rookie took P10, joined by Salač and rookie Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing).
There’s a mighty fifth row headed by Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), winner of his last five races at MotorLand across the ETC and FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship, with the man he duelled for supremacy in Free Practice, Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), alongside. Masia, double winner at the venue last year, locks out Row 5.
So where is Silverstone runaway winner Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team)? Down in P17, just behind Sasaki. Visibly frustrated with something on his final run in qualifying, the Italian will be looking for more on race day.
So can Fenati fight back? What about the Row 5 armada of form? Will Garcia make gains, or is Acosta back in full attack mode? We’ll find out at 11:00 (GMT +2) as the lights go out for Moto3™, so make sure to tune in!
Moto3™ top three
1 Darryn Binder – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda – 1:57.724
2 Gabriel Rodrigo – Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 – Honda – +0.181
3 Tatsuki Suzuki – SIC58 Squadra Corse – Honda – +0.252
Darryn Binder: “It’s been a really up and down season, it started great and took a little bit of a turn for the worst but I’m super happy to be back, it’s going to be super nice to start from the front row and pole position, cause it’s been a while since I was close to the front on the grid.”
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