At the Moto2 Catalan Grand Prix on the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, English rider Jake Dixon piloted a Kalex to the season’s first pole, proving his speed as the dominant qualifier for the third time in his career. He clocked a best lap just under 1 minute 44 seconds, a result that cemented Dixon as a frontrunner and underscored a growing streak of strong performances after pole positions in Indonesia and the Netherlands the previous season. The pole position signaled Dixon’s rising momentum as the championship tightened, with every practice session contributing to his confidence on race weekend.
On two wheels the title favorite from Spain, Pedro Acosta, aboard a Kalex, faced a tougher day, finishing ninth in the race. Although he set the fastest time in practice, issues during the session slowed his title bid, especially as his closest rivals in the standings battled the competitive field at the same time.
Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia Dols of Spain, riding a Kalex, opened the session with the fastest first lap, setting a blistering pace early. Thailand’s Somkiat Chantra emerged close behind, posting a strong time that kept the field honest as riders focused on carving out space for the upcoming sprint toward the latter part of the session.
As the day’s practice continued, the push for better times intensified. Chantra pressed hard, and his effort reflected the broader arc of the afternoon: the field began to shrink as riders weighed the risks of pushing too far too soon. The session also highlighted mid-field contenders from Italy and the Czech Republic who were maneuvering to place their Kalex machines into prime positions while avoiding the chaos that can accompany a tight championship battle.
With the pole position in hand, Dixon faced immediate pressure from Arbolino and Canet as the clock wound down. Dixon’s time kept him at the front, while Arbolino faced a difficult start position after finishing twentieth on the grid. The strategic challenge for Arbolino would be to navigate the Catalan circuit with precision, converting pace in qualifying into a strong race showing.
In the later portion of the session, Ai Ogura from Japan surged to the top with a lap that appeared poised to rewrite the board. His 1:44.214 lap occurred on his third tour, a sharp improvement that briefly displaced others before the final wave of pushes. Albert Arenas and Fermín Aldeguer pushed hard on Kalex and Boscoscuro machines, while Acosta lingered in twelfth as the intensity built toward the final, decisive moments.
In the closing moments, Jake Dixon reclaimed the top slot with a time of 1:44.089. Arón Canet, also on Kalex, was within a razor-thin margin of the pole, finishing just 0.095 seconds shy. Ogura trailed closely, separated by roughly 0.125 seconds, highlighting how tiny fractions shaped the first three rows of the grid and set up a high-stakes Catalan Grand Prix.
The day’s results showed Manugas González achieving his best Moto2 World Championship performance to date in fourth place, edging ahead of teammates Arenas and Aldeguer. Alonso Lopez on a Boscoscuro, along with Garcia Dols and Acosta, remained within a narrow stretch of a second as they vied for premiere starting positions. The rapid-fire margins illustrated how tight the battle can be on a circuit famed for demanding turns and variable weather risk.
Somkiat Chantra, the Thai rider on a Kalex, finished in twelfth, followed by Czech rider Filip Salac, and Jeremy Alcoba on a Kalex in sixteenth, with Marcos Ramirez also on Kalex in eighteenth. The results reflected a packed field where every tenth of a second could redefine tactical options for crews and riders heading into race weekend.