Izan Guevara was the man to beat during Moto2 World qualifying 2 Saturday at Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan. Riding his Pirelli-shod BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Boscoscuro on the 2.98-mile (4.8 km) track, the Spaniard recorded a 1:46.851, which led the field of 27 riders and broke his owns’s 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 1:46.950 he set this morning during FP2.
Filip Salac was the best of the rest with a 1:46.902 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez was third-fastest with a 1:46.961 on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex.
Row-two qualifiers included Aspar Team’s Daniel Holgado (1:46.967), REDS Fantic Racing’s Tony Arbolino (1:47.044) and Holgado’s teammate David Alonso (1:47.103).
American Joe Roberts finished the qualifying session 19th on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex with a time of 1:47.615.
More, from a press release issued by MotoGP:
Guevara grabs crucial Motegi pole, Gonzalez third. The title-chasing top two are joined on the front row by Czech star Salač at the Japanese Grand Prix.
A frustrating but, in the end, very successful Moto2 Q2 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan played out for title-chasing Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), who collects a fourth pole position of the season in a fiercely contested 15 minutes on Saturday afternoon. It’s all set up nicely for Sunday’s Grand Prix with Austrian GP podium finisher Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing Team) pinching a late P2 despite an early crash, as World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) earns an important front row in P3.
Salač’s crash came at Turn 1 early on when the Czech rider hadn’t yet set a time, with Guevara making a couple of small errors in his first run as tempers rose under the lid, with chatter once again plaguing the Austrian GP winner. Both responded superbly though to front the grid at the Mobility Resort Motegi, with Gonzalez a threat throughout for P3.
Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) lines up at the spearhead of Row 2 in P4 ahead of Tony Arbolino (REDS Fantic Racing) and the Spaniard’s teammate David Alonso. The gap between the top six? Just 0.252s.
The rider third in the championship leads Row 3; that’s Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – JP Financial – MSI), so can the Spaniard cut the gap to Gonzalez and Guevara in the championship chase tomorrow from there?