MotoAmericans Joe Roberts and Cameron Beaubier will start tomorrow’s Red Bull Grand Prix of Spain in eighth and 16th, respectively, after an eventful day for the pair on Saturday at the Jerez Circuit.
Roberts looked to be on his way to a better qualifying position in Q2, but the Italtrans Racing rider suffered a crash late in the session. Although the Californian was able to remount, get back to the pits and eventually the track, he wasn’t able to improve his best of 1:42.235 and he will thus start the Grand Prix from the third row.
Beaubier, meanwhile, made it to Q2 by leading the way in Q1, the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and his American Racing Kalex ending up 16th in the final session with his 1:41.736 – just 1.069 seconds from pole position. Beaubier had lapped faster in his Q1 session with his weekend best of 1:41.308.
Pole position for the first time this year didn’t go to Brit Sam Lowes, with the Elf Marc VDS Racing rider also suffering a crash in Q2. Instead, the top spot going into tomorrow’s Grand Prix went to Remy Gardner, the Australian riding the Red Bull KTM Ajo to a lap-record-setting 1:40.667 to best Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and SKY Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi. Those three will start the race from the front row. Lowes ended the session fifth.
