The Spanish rider dominates a thrilling British Saturday to take the Moto2 Pole after progressing through Q1. Barry Baltus to start from the third row.
Fantic Racing Lino Sonego continues to show its strength in the Moto2 World Championship, claiming another major result in qualifying at the legendary Silverstone Circuit. Aron Canet stormed to a brilliant pole position in an emotional Saturday at the British GP.
The 25-year-old Spaniard had to take the long way to the top, entering Q1 after a late crash in Friday’s Practice session. A minor slide while pushing to the limit denied him a shot at a clean flying lap and direct access to Q2. However, after rebuilding confidence and dialing in the setup during Free Practice 2, Canet came back strong. He topped Q1 with authority, earning his spot among the fastest.
In Q2, Aron’s performance was flawless, posting a lightning-fast 2'02.482 to secure his first pole position of the season. It was a commanding display of speed, resilience, and teamwork, thanks to the amazing job done by the mechanics to rebuild his bike after yesterday’s crash.
Meanwhile, Barry Baltus – coming off back-to-back podiums – had gone straight into Q2 with the fifth-fastest time in the Practice session. The 21-year-old Belgian talent struggled to find clear track during his final time attack in qualifying, as some traffic disrupted his rhythm. He wrapped up the session in seventh with a time of 2'03.258 and will launch from the head of the third row on Sunday, fully focused on fighting forward.
The Moto2 race is set to get underway tomorrow, Sunday, August 25, at 11:15 AM local time (12:15 PM CET). Fantic Racing Lino Sonego heads into race day ready to battle for the top.
Aron Canet:
“I am really happy with today’s pole position. After yesterday’s crash, this is the best way to bounce back. I was just pushing too hard, but that helped me find the limit. Huge thanks to my team for the great job they did on the bike. Tomorrow, I would like to win, but we know that our real goal is the championship, so we have to stay calm and get the maximum out of the race.”
Barry Baltus:
“I am not fully satisfied with qualifying. Seventh place isn’t too bad, but we know we could’ve done better. Going through Q1 could have helped us. The wind was really strong and made conditions more difficult. Now we will work with the team to find the right feeling for tomorrow.”
Roberto Locatelli, Fantic Racing Lino Sonego Team Manager:
“An amazing pole position from Aron and great work by the whole team after yesterday’s crash. This morning, we ran a check on the bike, but the damp conditions didn’t allow us to push too hard. Then in qualifying, he managed to do exactly what we were aiming for – taking pole position.
Strong effort from Baltus as well, even though he couldn’t get a clean lap due to traffic on his final flying lap. Starting seventh on the grid doesn’t reflect his true potential – he is capable of much more. We are aiming for the podium with both riders in tomorrow’s race.”
