The Italian will be joined by World Champion Guevara and close rival Garcia on the front row in Malaysia
A new lap record saw Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) claim a fourth Moto3™ pole position of the season as his 2:11:411 enabled the Italian to beat World Champion Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) in Q2 at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia. Sergio Garcia makes it two Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team machines on the front row, as the Spaniard and Foggia get set to fight it out for the silver medal in 2022.
Cream rises to the top in Malaysia
Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power), Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) joined the Q2 fray after progressing through Q1, as the early pace in the second 15-minute sprint was set by Foggia – and it was a belter. A 2:11.958 was the best Moto3™ lap of the weekend, but it didn’t last long as Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) pounced to go provisional pole.
After the first set of fast laps, 0.087s split the top four. Sasaki led Foggia, Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), with Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – chasing P2 in the overall standings – 1.7s off in P17. That soon changed though as the Spaniard set a belting time on his first second run attack, the new fastest time was a 2:11.674.
And it was a time that was beaten – by his two main rivals! Guevara briefly sat P1 but Foggia’s new all-time lap record saw the Italian rise to pole position at the end of the session, with the top three in the World Championship all starting on the front row for Sunday’s penultimate race of the season.
How the rest of the top 10 looks
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) set his best lap on his final effort to rise to the spearhead of Row 2 in P4, with the Spaniard joined by teammate Daniel Holgado on the second row in P5. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) completed the top six, with Sasaki shuffled down to P7 by the end of the session. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing), Rossi and Muñoz rounded out a top 10 covered by 0.640s in Moto3™ Q2.
Tune into the Moto3™ race at 12:00 local time (GMT+8) on Sunday!
Top 10:
1. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – 2:11.411
2. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.224
3….