Ivan Ortolá secured pole position for the Moto3 Indonesian Grand Prix this Saturday. It was on his penultimate flying lap that the rider clinched the time that earned him the top spot in qualifying in Mandalika, along with a new lap record.
David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar) was in the lead after the first flying laps, with Ortolá (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM) just 0.001s behind. Following closely was Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) at 0.006s.
Positions then flipped, with Ortolá overtaking Alonso. Suzuki lost third place to his teammate, Collin Veijer, who joined the battle for the top.
The Dutch rider improved to second, while Adrián Fernández (Leopard Racing/Honda) also moved ahead of Alonso, taking third place with about seven minutes remaining before the checkered flag.
After the usual pit stops in the middle of Q2, the riders returned to the track for their final attacks on the clock. Significant changes occurred. Veijer briefly led, but Ortolá quickly reclaimed the top spot, securing pole position with a 0.257s margin and a new lap record time of 1m37.332s.
Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) was the big surprise, finishing in third place, followed by Fernández. Championship leader Alonso will start from fifth, a position that offers him good prospects for tomorrow’s race.
