Corsi makes it successive Valencia poles for MV Agusta, Raul Fernandez fifth and Gardner eighth.

The veteran Italian pulls it out the bag via Q1, with the title challengers set for a showdown from Rows 2 and 3.

Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) claimed a first pole position since the 2012 Aragon GP in Moto2™ at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, and after coming through Q1. It was a session that saw title-chasing Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crash, but the Spaniard starts P5, with World Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) going for title glory from P8. Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) bag front row starts as the season hits its crescendo at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Q1
Corsi topped the session as the veteran Italian impressed on Saturday, with Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) moving through second in his final Grand Prix. Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) also moved through, with previous podium finisher and loca hero Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) just missing out.

Fermin Aldeguer (Termozeta Speed Up) and Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) both crashed, both riders ok.

Q2
the two title rivals were on track together in the opening exchanges, and at the end of everyone’s second flying laps, Raul Fernandez was quickest. Gardner, meanwhile, was P8. That soon turned to P11 as some faster laps were slotted in, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) less than a tenth down.

With six minutes to go, Augusto Fernandez leapt to P1 as we then saw the top five split by less than a tenth, with Q1 pacesetter Corsi going P5. Vietti ensured Augusto Fernandez’ time at the summit was short lived but Corsi, shadowing the Spaniard, found a 1:34.956 to go provisional pole.

Drama then unfolded for one of the title contenders. Raul Fernandez crashed unhurt at Turn 2 with three minutes left on the clock, and that was the Spaniard’s session done. Di Giannantonio went pole but his lap got cancelled and the Italian couldn’t then repeat it on his next effort, and no one else able to better Corsi. So the experienced Italian claims a remarkable pole position and the second for MV Agusta at Valencia in the last two years.

The Grid
Behind Corsi, Vietti and Augusto Fernandez, Di Giannantonio will start P4 ahead of Raul Fernandez in P5. The latter only has one option on Sunday afternoon if he’s to have any chance of winning the title: victory. Lüthi will join Raul Fernandez on Row 2 in P6, which is a cracking effort from the fourth-highest Grand Prix appearance maker.

Canet launches from P7, only place ahead of the World Championship leader Gardner. The Australian will wrap up the title if he finishes in P13 or higher, no matter what Raul Fernandez does – a good start and staying out of trouble will be imperative for Gardner. Jorge Navarro (Termozeta Speed Up) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out a top 10 that were covered by just 0.223s.

Gardner vs Raul Fernandez. One of the Red Bull KTM Ajo stars will win the Moto2™ title on Sunday in Valencia, but who will it be? Find out by tuning into the last intermediate class race of 2021 at 12:20 local time (GMT+1)!

Moto2™ front row:
1 Simone Corsi – MV Agusta Forward Racing – MV Agusta – 1’34.956
2 Celestino Vietti – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – +0.049
3 Augusto Fernandez – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – +0.070

Simone Corsi: “Unbelievable today, very happy for me and my team, this morning and yesterday here wasn’t a good feeling with my bike but in Q1 we tried a new setting with much much more grip on the rear and that helped the lap time. The last two years MV took pole at Valencia so it’s a special track for my bike. Tomorrow the race will be difficult, this year has been difficult but tomorrow I’ll try to push very hard lap by lap. Finish on the podium would be fantastic, but finishing in the top five would make me happy!”

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