Quiles untouchable: Moto3 pole at Jerez sends a clear message, disaster for Pini

Unbeatable in qualifying too: Maximo Quiles secures Moto3 pole at Jerez, Bertelle 9th, Pini missing. Report and standings

Maximo Quiles continues his unstoppable run at Jerez. Today he also takes pole position, the perfect way to start a GP tomorrow in which he has been the clear favorite even before hitting the track. An all-Spanish front row with David Munoz, just back after a knee issue, and Alvaro Carpe. And how did our flag bearers do? Matteo Bertelle is 9th and the best of the Italians, while Guido Pini goes from the joy of his first Moto3 triumph in Austin to not even making it into Q2 at this first European round... Here’s how it went.

Most of the Italians line up in this session, with four spots up for grabs to move on to the next segment. Surprisingly included are Pini, the winner in Austin, and Pratama, fresh from his first podium in Brazil. Rammerstorfer crashes, while towards the end many improve and Pini, provisionally in the leading positions, is pushed out of the top 4! Moodley emerges at the last moment, ahead of Pratama, Kelso and Danish. Note, however, that Race Direction is reviewing an incident involving Danish, slow on the racing line and hindering his own teammate Yamanaka.

It’s an all-out battle strictly among the home riders, who keep trading the top spots. Quiles, Munoz, Almansa, Fernandez... But the latter suffers a slide just in those precious final seconds. The assault on pole continues only among Spaniards, as so often happens nowadays in the lightweight class of the World Championship, and in the end here comes Maximo Quiles who lays down the lap that crushes the competition, first and foremost a combative David Munoz, with Alvaro Carpe completing the front row.