In the lead though, Lyons and O’Gorman were in a league of their own. By the time the final lap dawned their gap to the rest was up to 15 seconds, with the number 67 ahead over the line for the penultimate time. But Lyons was tucked in and by Stowe, where he’d already made a few moves stick earlier in the race, the number 7 was ready to pounce and pounce he did. Snatching the lead with a clean move up the inside, the Northern Irishman was back in the driving seat. O’Gorman didn’t budge though, glued to the back of the number 7, and round Woodcote for the final time he was looking for a gap up the inside. But he couldn’t quite find one, leaving the two blasting over the line almost side by side… but Lyons ahead for his first BTC win.
10. After passing through Q1, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who won the last MotoGP™ race held at Silverstone in 2019, has qualified 10th which is the fifth time so far this year he fails to start from the front three rows. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the first time since the European GP last year when he finished second.
With five minutes left, Gardner cut Lowes’ advantage down to 0.126s. Navarro was unable to set a lap time until there was less than a minute on the clock, however, it was a good one once the Spaniard did. A 2:04.204 saw Navarro go provisional P3 and the Speed Up rider was going again. Attentions then turned to Bezzecchi as the Italian rounded the final corner to snatch a home GP pole position away from Lowes with that first sub-2:04 Silverstone Moto2™ lap. Phenomenal from Bezzecchi as Navarro also got the better of Lowes on his last lap, Lowes going from P1 to P3 in a matter of moments.
A confusing end to MotoGP™ Q2 sees the Spaniard pick up Honda’s first Saturday P1 of 2021; Ducati and Yamaha claim front rows
In a highly dramatic end to MotoGP™ Q2 at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, we saw Pol Espargaro earn a dream debut pole position with Repsol Honda Team. The Spaniard’s 1.58.889 was enough to beat Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 0.022s as World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) takes P3, with Jorge Martin’s (Pramac Racing) eventual cancelled lap causing plenty of confusion at the chequered flag.
Zarco and Rins leave it late in Q1
Q1 saw title hopeful Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and 2019 British GP winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) battling it out to try and get into the pole position shootout, but it was Zarco’s fellow Ducati rider Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) who set the pace. The reigning Moto2™ World Champion was P1 and chasing an improvement on his final run, however, the Italian crashed at Turn 12 – rider ok.
“This means more than a win!” – first reactions from Q2 28/08/2021
Pol Espargaro took an emotional first pole position at Repsol Honda ahead of Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo at the British GP
This brought out the yellow flags and ruined almost everyone’s laps, and with just a minute remaining, it all came down to the final flying laps for the Q2 spots. Both Zarco and Rins produced superb laps under pressure and both managed to beat Bastianini’s 1:59.553, which meant late heartbreak for the latter. Zarco and Rins went through to the 15-minute pole position scrap at Silverstone.
A dramatic and surprising Q2 outcome
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) set the first lap of Q2 but Quartararo was straight into the 1:58s, the fastest lap of the weekend, to beat Mir’s time by 1.2s. Bagnaia slotted into P2 ahead of Ducati Lenovo Team teammate Jack Miller before Pol Espargaro slotted his Repsol Honda machine onto the provisional front row. Martin briefly occupied P2 before Bagnaia returned there shortly after to sit 0.270s off Quartararo after the first set of laps in Q2.
Miller, who had been shoved down to P5, picked up one place to P4 and was the first rider to improve his time when the riders emerged from pitlane on fresh rubber. Pol Espargaro was then on a blistering time and shot to P1 on his last lap – and safe to say the Spaniard was pleased. Martin then suddenly gained over a second in the second sector and went pole position by a huge 0.8s. How? And what had happened? No one seemed to know for now.
Why did Jorge Martin miss out on pole position? 28/08/2021
Here’s exactly why the Pramac Racing man wasn’t on a third straight pole position
Meanwhile, Pecco had beaten Quartararo’s time too and the Frenchman was down to P4, with Quartararo not improving. So at the end of the session, confusion reigned as we awaited confirmation that Martin’s lap was cancelled. Replays showed Martin had cut the Vale chicane and, of course, his lap wouldn’t count. So, once the timing screens had been corrected, it was Pol Espargaro who had emerged as the surprise but deserving British GP polesitter. Martin’s late drama saw Pecco and Quartararo promoted to P2 and P3, the top two in the standings start alongside each other on the front row.
How do the rest of the Q2 results look?
Martin will start from a very solid P4 ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), the eight-time World Champion left it late to set a time after exceeding track limits earlier in the session, as Honda look strong at Silverstone. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) makes it an all-Spanish Row 2 and just 0.3s covers the top six.
Miller wasn’t able to improve after going P4 and the Free Practice pacesetter has to settle for P7, just ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The Doctor will launch from P8 in his final British GP, impressive stuff so far from the nine-time World Champion how edges Zarco by less than a tenth. It’s P9 for the Frenchman ahead of Team Suzuki Ecstar duo Rins and Mir, work to do for the latter in his pursuit of Quartararo in the title race. Austrian GP winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be aiming for another Sunday special, the South African starts P12.
A full house at Silverstone awaits the MotoGP™ riders on Sunday and remember, the premier class go racing at the earlier time of 13:00 local time (GMT+1) – the second race of the day.
Q2 results: 1. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) – 1:58.889 2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.022 3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.036 4. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.185 5. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.197 6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.384 7. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.479 8. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.642 9. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.690 10. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.750 11. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.874 12. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 1.088
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As the two crossed the line for the final time, Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) sat top of the timesheets, but the Italian narrowly misses out after crashing in the closing stages of the session. There was also disappointment for Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also, with neither of the established riders able to threaten the top times.
Three tenths adrift of the Frenchman was Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) only a further two hundreths adrift in fourth. Completing the top five in the 2019 British Grand Prix winner Alex Rins, with the Suzuki man throwing his hat in the ring over the fight for victory on Sunday.
The Italian remains unbeaten at Silverstone but it was a tricky day at the office for the top two in the Moto3™ title race
It’s been a perfect weekend at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix so far for Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and in Moto3™ qualifying, the experienced Italian claimed a second consecutive pole position of 2021. Fenati left it late to beat Q1 graduate Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) by 0.043s with a 2:11.325 lap time, as Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) takes picks up a second front row of the season in P3.
Acosta and Garcia out in Q1
Both World Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and second in the title race Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) both found themselves in Q1 after missing out on a top 14 place in Free Practice. Garcia, winner last time out in Austria, hadn’t posted a time with just under five minutes remaining when he crashed unhurt at Turn 3. At the same time, Acosta was sitting 7th in the session as both Spaniards stared down the barrel of poor qualifying results.
Garcia didn’t really have much time to pit and carried on riding his crashed GASGAS machine, on which he salvaged P10 in the session, with Acosta unable to do better than 8th. The top two in the title race are finding it difficult so far at Silverstone and on Sunday, Acosta and Garcia will start from 22nd and 24th respectively.
Fenati remains the man to beat at Silverstone
After coming through Q1, Rodrigo was in the groove and sat top of the pile with under five minutes to go in the second part of qualifying. Rodrigo’s 2:11.368 was 0.154s ahead of Rossi heading into the closing stages, with Free Practice dominator Fenati yet to set a time. Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) then crashed unhurt down at Stowe corner, and after coming through the first split 0.259s quicker than Rodrigo, the Italian’s lap was cancelled. That meant Fenati had just one lap to get a lap time set.
The first split for Fenati was a very good one – 0.201s under. A stunning third split then saw him hold a 0.266s advantage over Rodrigo’s provisional pole time and sure enough, creaming it around Woodcote, Fenati landed a time good enough for P1 by 0.043s. No one else was on lap times that were going to threaten the pointy end of the times, meaning Fenati held top spot.
The top 10 for Sunday’s showdown
Rodrigo and Rossi join Fenati on the front row, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) picking up P4 late on to lead Row 2. Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) and Filip Salac (CarXpert PrüstelGP) join Migno on the second row in 5th and 6th respectively, less than half a second away from Fenati’s time, with Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) claiming P7. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) complete the top 10 at Silverstone, the latter two over a second adrift of Fenati.
Tune into the Moto3™ British Grand Prix at 11:20 local time (GMT+1) on Sunday morning to see if anyone can stop Fenati.
Top 10: 1. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – 2:11.325 2. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) + 0.043 3. Ricardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) + 0.197 4. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) + 0.265 5. Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) + 0.390 6. Filip Salac (CarXpert PrüstelGP) + 0.478 7. Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesia Racing Gresini Moto3) + 0.525 8. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) + 0.560 9. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) + 1.066 10. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 1.187
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Stuart Pringle, Silverstone Managing Director: “We are excited to announce the new date as part of our long-term commitment to two-wheel racing at Silverstone. We want everyone to experience the highest level of motorcycle racing in the UK and we are investing a huge amount of time, money and resource into making Silverstone as good as it can be for MotoGP and our fans. We also want all of those who are attending Silverstone this year to return and we are fully focused on attracting a new wave of fans who can enjoy a memorable weekend of racing and entertainment.”
Aspar’s Canet pips the World Championship leader by less than a tenth in Moto2™ FP3
Despite a late crash at Turn 9 in Moto2™ FP3, Aron Canet (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) is the rider to beat heading into qualifying at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix thanks to a 2:04.180 on Saturday morning. World Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is second fastest, 0.039s off Canet, with the Australian’s teammate Raul Fernandez third after not improving on his Friday effort.
Canet and Gardner hold healthy advantage
The riders to beat after Friday’s running were Raul Fernandez and Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up), however in FP3, neither were able to go quicker than they did in FP2. Canet and Gardner both found plenty of time to leapfrog the two Spaniards, and the top two on the combined standings hold a nice 0.2s advantage heading into qualifying.
Raul Fernandez and Navarro are P3 and P4 after Moto2™ Free Practice at Silverstone, 0.3s down on Canet’s time, with both Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) finding time in FP3 to sit P5 and P6 respectively. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez didn’t improve, the duo slip to P6 and P7, as Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) round out at top 10 covered by 0.9s.
Moto2™ qualifying is coming your way at 15:10 local time (GMT+1)!
Top 10 combined: 1. Aron Canet (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) – 2:04.180 2. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.039 3. Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up) + 0.369 4. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) + 0.484 5. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.580 6. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.724 7. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) + 0.756 8. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.760 9. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) + 0.927 10. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.934
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The Australian is top of the pile after MotoGP™ FP3 as the top 10 are split by just 0.395s at the British GP
Friday belonged to World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) but on Saturday morning at the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, the fastest rider heading into qualifying is Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Australian set a 1:59.288 in FP3 to edge out second place Quartararo by 0.029s, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) claims P3 just 0.098s off P1.
0.3s covers top 10!
It was a quiet opening half of FP3 with just three riders improving their Friday times, with no one penetrating the top 10 in the cool British GP morning conditions. Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was the first rider to make a move into the automatic Q2 places, the Spaniard went P6 on his soft Michelin tyres, which demoted Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) out for the time being.
As the clock ticked down into the final 15 minutes, things got busy. Miller went P1 by 0.029s to breach Quartararo’s Silverstone stranglehold, as Yamaha duo Cal Crutchlow (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Rossi climbed into the all-important top 10 with seven minutes to go. Marc Marquez and Repsol Honda Team teammate Pol Espargaro both went P3 – the latter a tenth and half faster than Marquez – before red and orange sector times lit up. It was all about to change in the fight for Q2 qualification.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro crashed unhurt in separate incidents in the closing stages, as the likes of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), Aleix Espargaro, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Rossi all improved their times in the top 10. No one could quite match Miller’s pace though, but the times have really tightened up compared to Friday.
Rookie Martin is again at the sharp end of the grid in P4, the Spaniard heads Desmosedici teammate Bagnaia by just over a tenth as Ducati have three riders in the top five. Pol Espargaro is the fastest Honda rider despite his last tumble, the number 44 set the same fastest time as Pecco, with Rossi sailing into Q2 in P7. Mir, just three tenths off P1, is P8 on his first visit to Silverstone on a MotoGP™ machine, the 2020 World Champion marginally leads Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marc Marquez in the top 10.
An intriguing qualifying awaits…
You don’t want to miss the premier class riders fighting it out for pole position at the fast and ferocious Silverstone, it’s all coming your way at 14:10 local time (GMT+1). Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) – a title hopeful – finds himself in Q1, with the likes of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Crutchlow just 0.7s away from P1.
Top 10: 1. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:59.288 2. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.029 3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.098 4. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.108 5. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.227 6. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.227 7. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.265 8. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.363 9. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.383 10. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.395
Every practice session, qualifying battle and race, exclusive interviews, historic races and so much more fantastic content: this is VideoPass!
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