At the Moto2 Catalan Grand Prix on the Barcelona Catalonia circuit, English rider Jake Dixon on a Kalex secured the season’s first pole position, confirming his pace as the fastest rider in the official classification for the third time in his career. His speed clocked at 1:44,089, a time that solidified Dixon’s status as a front-runner and showcased his consistency after pole positions in Indonesia and the Netherlands in the previous season. This result underscored Dixon’s rising momentum as the championship tightens, with every session contributing to his growing confidence on race weekend. Source: official results for the Catalan GP.
World-leading Spaniard Pedro Acosta on a Kalex faced a tougher day, delivering a modest performance that saw him finish ninth in the race. Acosta had claimed the top time in practice but encountered trouble that hindered his title bid, particularly as his closest championship rival also grappled with the competitive field. Source: race-day summations and official timing notes.
Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia Dols of Spain, riding a Kalex, clocked the opening lap as the first leader of the Moto2 session with a blistering 1:44,873. Thailand’s Somkiat Chantra on a Kalex was initially close behind, posting 1:44,797 on the leading lap. The early pace set the tone for a dramatic stint as riders pressed to carve out space and secure strong positions for the sprint toward the second half of the session. Source: session timing reports.
As sessions progressed, the push for improvement intensified. Chantra pushed hard, and the effort paid off in the broader context of the afternoon: the field kept contracting, and each rider weighed the risks of pushing too far too soon. The session also highlighted the Italians and Czech riders who were maneuvering to place their Kalex machines into optimal positions while avoiding the chaos that can accompany a tight championship battle. Source: practice and qualifying summaries.
The pole-sitter, Dixon, found himself under pressure from Arbolino and Canet as the clock wound down. Dixon’s performance placed him firmly at the front, while Arbolino faced a difficult start position after ending up twentieth in the standings. The strategic challenge for Arbolino would be to navigate the Catalan circuit with precision, aiming to convert qualifying pace into a strong race showing. Source: qualifying notes and grid analysis.
In the second part of the session, Ai Ogura from Japan surged to the top of the times with a lap that looked set to rewrite the board. His effort of 1:44,214 occurred on his third lap, a remarkable improvement that briefly displaced other leaders before the final rush. Albert Arenas and Fermín Aldeguer pushed hard on Kalex and Boscoscuro machines, respectively, as the clock continued to dwindle and race-day strategy began to crystallize. Pedro Acosta, the championship leader at that moment, stood twelfth as the intensity rose, signaling an unpredictable sequence of moves ahead. Source: qualifying leaderboards and raceweek updates.
In the closing moments, Jake Dixon reclaimed the top slot with a time of 1:44.089. Arón Canet, also on Kalex, could not quite match Dixon’s pace, ending up 95 thousandths of a second off the pole. Ogura finished a touch further behind in the mix, separated by about 125 thousandths of a second, underscoring how small margins determined the first rows of the grid. The battle for pole tightened the field and set the stage for a high-stakes Catalan Grand Prix. Source: final qualifying timings and post-session analysis.
The day’s result saw Manugas González secure fourth place, marking his best performance in the Moto2 World Championship to date. He edged ahead of teammates Arenas and Aldeguer, while Alonso Lopez on a Boscoscuro, along with Garcia Dols and Acosta, stood just a thousandth of a second apart in the fight for a premier starting position. The close margins highlighted the razor-thin lines that separate the top six contenders on a circuit known for its demanding turns and variable weather risk. Source: grid recap and rider-by-rider timing notes.
Thai rider Somkiat Chantra, on a Kalex, finished twelfth, followed by Czech rider Filip Salac, with Jeremy Alcoba on a Kalex in sixteenth and Marcos Ramirez on a Kalex in eighteenth. The results reflected a field that is tightly packed, where every tenth of a second can redefine tactical options for teams and riders heading into the race weekend. Source: final combined classifications.