Celestino Vietti was the man to beat during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. The Italian rider topped qualifying session with a new lap record time. Riding his Pirelli-shod Beta Tools SpeedRS Boscoscuro, Vietti navigated the 2.89-mile (4.66 km) course in 1:41.076, breaking Manuel Gonzalez’s 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 1:41.288 he set Saturday morning in FP2.
Collin Veijer was second-best with a 1:41.338 on his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex.
Manuel Gonzalez claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:41.436 on his Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex.
Row-two qualifiers included QJMOTOR – Bordoy – MSI’s Ivan Ortola (1:41.455), ITALJET Gresini’s Alonso Lopez (1:41.521) and ELF Marc VDS’ Aron Canet (1:41.552).
American Joe Roberts qualified 25th with a lap time of 1:42.405 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
More from a press release issued by MotoGP:
Vietti flies to record-breaking Barcelona pole. The Italian set a new Moto2 lap record to clinch a rare Saturday P1 ahead of Veijer and championship leader Gonzalez.
A 1:41.076 all-time Moto2 lap record in Barcelona from Friday pacesetter Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) made sure the Italian clinched his first pole position since the 2024 Austrian GP. 0.262s was the gap to second place Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the Dutchman securing an important front row before he takes a Long Lap penalty on Sunday, with Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) – the World Championship leader – completing the top three.
Having come through Q1, Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – Bordoy – MSI) improved on his penultimate lap to earn P4 on the grid, with compatriots Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) and Aron Canet (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) rounding out the top six, with that result acting as Canet’s best qualifying result of the campaign.
Having had a huge moment early in the session coming out of Turn 10, 2025 Catalan GP winner Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team) starts P8, one place behind Czechia’s Filip Salač (OnlyFans American Racing), and one place ahead of reigning Moto3 World Champion Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). How good is it to see the #98 looking fast and comfortable again?
It was a trickier Saturday for the riders P2 and P3 in the championship, with Izan Guevara (BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) starting from P10 and P11 respectively. And in P13, there’s David Alonso (CFMOTO Impulse Aspar Team). That’s a trio of Moto2 race winners coming from the mid-pack.
Tune into the Moto2 race at 12:15 local time.
