CEV Repsol, Valencia – Qualifying roundup: Moto3 JWC, Moto2, HETC
It was a rain-soaked final qualifying of the season for all three classes ahead of a title-deciding race day in Valencia
On a rain-soaked Saturday at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Scott Ogden (Aspar Team) claimed a maiden Moto3™ Junior World Champion pole position as the riders tackled tricky conditions in the final qualifying sessions of the 2021 season. Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) will lead the Hawkers European Talent Cup grid from P1, with Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro Team Ciatti) fronting the grid on Sunday in the Moto2™ European Championship.
In the Moto3™ JWCh, Ogden was fastest in both QP1 and QP2 to claim pole in his last weekend as a Junior World Championship rider. The British rider crashed unhurt twice in the opening qualifying session, before leaving it late to beat Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) by 0.108s in slightly better afternoon conditions. Jose Julian Garcia (SIC58 Squadra Corse) will launch from P3, with Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Aspar Team) clinching P4. That Row 2 start for the Spaniard is a great result, with closest rival David Muñoz (Avatel-Cardoso Racing) starting from pitlane and Ivan Ortola (Team MTA) – the only other rider mathematically in with a chance of winning the title – down in P12. Ortola, though, will start P11 after Muñoz’ penalty.
Piqueras has teammate Rico Salmela and Xabi Zurutuza (Cuna de Campeones) alongside him on the front row in the HETC, the latter is the leading title contender on the grid, as Row 2 is made up of the other three title hopefuls. Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) will start P4, Championship leader Maximo Martinez (Team Honda Laglisse) is fifth with Adrian Cruces (Cuna de Campeones) sixth ahead of two races tomorrow.
Ahead of the final race of the season, it’s a familiar 1-2 at the spearhead of the Moto2™ ECh grid as Lopez leads teammate and 2021 Champion Fermin Aldeguer off the line. Lopez left it until the last lap in QP2 to beat Aldeguer, with the duo split by 0.145s. Adam Norrodin (Liqui Moly Intact SIC Racing) completes the front row in the Moto2™ ECh.
