16-year-old rookie Nicolo Bulega has claimed his first pole position of his Moto3 World Championship career ahead of the fourth round at the Circuito de Jerez, Spain.
The six-foot tall youngster set the fastest lap of 1:46.223 aboard his Sky Racing Team VR46 KTM just over halfway through the session. The Italian took pole position from Jorge Navarro who held the fastest time from the start of the session on his Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda early on in the Moto3 qualifying session.
Bulega’s pole position time is faster than the circuit lap record held by Brad Binder in 2015 of 1:46.723, and it is just 0.05 seconds slower than the best ever lap completed by Jack Miller in 2014.
Bulega beat Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Brad Binder to pole position; the South African who is currently leading the championship was the fastest during two of the three practice sessions yet remained 0.23 seconds slower than Bulega after qualifying.
Completing the front row is Jorge Navarro who was fastest during FP1. This will be the Spaniard’s home GP; he finished with a time 1:46.436 as the fastest Honda on the grid. Aspar Mahindra Team rider Francesco Bagnaia finished fourth overall as the fastest Mahindra despite running wide with fourteen minutes to go.
In the last third of the session Ongetta-Rivacold rider Niccolo Antonelli crashed out at turn three, he was able to walk away but was seen limping when he returned to his pit garage. Despite this, he finished fifth which leaves him in the centre of the second row. Gresini Racing Moto3 rider Enea Bastianini completed the second row. Bastianini crashed in the final stages after the front end of the bike folded at turn two.
Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) and Juanfran Guevara (RBA Racing Team) finished ahead of Bulega’s teammate Romano Fenati who completed the third row in ninth 0.849 seconds slower.
Drive M7 SIC Racing team rider Jakub Kornfeil starts in tenth at the start of the front row ahead of Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider Aron Canet and Leopard Racing team rider Fabio Quartararo. His time was just outside of a second of leader Bulega meaning eleven riders finished within one second.
The session was not complete without any race incidents. Some of the riders had laps cancelled due to overuse of the track. Karel Hanika was first to crash out on his Platinum Bay Real Estate Mahindra at turn two after the front went under. Wildcard Davide Pizzoli had his third crash so far this weekend from his Procercasa – 42 Motorsport KTM. He was again able to luckily walk away. His crash caused brothers Brad and Darryn Binder to run off wide.
The Italian out of the three wildcards. this round in twenty-ninth, his teammate Enzo Boulom will start from last position on the grid as Stefano Valtulini did not qualify aboard his 3570 Team Italia Mahindra. Albert Arenas is also riding as a wildcard this weekend. He qualified in an impressive sixteenth place.
British Peugeot MC Saxoprint rider John McPhee finished as the fast Peugeot with a time of 1:47.746 which was 1.523 seconds slower than leader Bulega. The only female Maria Herrera appears to be struggling on her MH6 Laglisse KTM and only managed to qualify in thirty-third on the grid.
