Italy’s Celestino Vietti, riding a Kalex, secured pole position on a bright day at the Circuit Of The Americas, reinforcing his position as a top contender in Moto2. The American Grand Prix in Austin marked a pivotal moment as Vietti demonstrated the skill and consistency that have become hallmarks of his recent performances, delivering a performance that left rivals watching from the shadows of the starting grid and signaling his readiness to challenge for the podium in this intense season.
Vietti claimed his fourth pole in Moto2, a notable achievement that echoes the momentum he carried from last season. The pole was his fifth overall in his sports career, underscoring his standing among the world’s premier riders. Joining him on the front line were Pedro Acosta from Spain and Czech rider Filip Salac, both aboard Kalex machines, ready to battle for the best possible start and to dictate the tempo of the race from the front row.
And this is POLE POSITION for Celestino Vietti! Good to see the Italian back in peak form at the American GP, a moment that fans and rivals alike will remember as a turning point in the weekend’s fight for supremacy.
South Africa’s Darryn Binder faced a tough setback after an early fall, suffering a broken right hand that required surgery. The incident cast a shadow over the day, with the expectation that Binder would be sidelined for the immediate future as medical teams prepared for the necessary procedure. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer of Spain pushed through pain in his left hand, a reminder of the sport’s demanding nature even when injuries are not crippling. He did not suffer fractures that would rule him out of competition, a fact that kept him in contention for points and a strong result in the first division.
Despite a severe scratch on his left middle finger, Aldeguer pressed on and took his place on the grid. He fought to find a rhythm early in the session, grinding through the challenge to secure a competitive position as the clock ticked toward the end of the session. Somkiat Chantra showed pace in the second round, finishing a shade behind the Dutch rider Bo Bendsneyder, both of whom pushed the time sheets with a time of 2:10.057 as the field tightened at the top.
[Consulta la clasificación de Moto2]
Alonso Lopez, riding for Acceleration, held a solid position in fourth as the clock dwindled, eyeing the last opportunities to improve and seize a favorable lane in the final minutes. With several rivals ready to pounce, the challenge was to execute a flawless last run and avoid mistakes in the closing corners when the pressure spikes and every tenth counts.
Lopez attempted to elevate his pace during a late lap, but a near slip at the approach to the final stretch left him anxious and robbed him of what could have been a dramatic late surge. The attempt was halted as he exceeded the circuit limits on the next run, ending his chance to climb higher than the fourth place he already held.
He put in a heroic effort to stay competitive and avoid the early exit that can plague a rider in Q1. The effort illustrated the fine margins present on a track that rewards precision and nerve in equal measure.
With the pressure ramping up, one rider pressed on with relentless focus. A notable moment was the reaction of the crowd and team personnel as another Spaniard, Sergio Garcia Babies, had a dramatic crash at turn eleven. The yellow flags came out and the incident caused a temporary halt, affecting the running of the first division as several riders whose laps had already been set were forced to restart their attempts. The crash dictated a reshuffle on the timesheets and left many contenders with the sense that everything was still to play for as the session moved forward.
Filip Salac of the Czech Republic pushed hard in the second classification and came out on top with a blistering 2:09.548. The British rider Sam Lowes, who rides a Kalex, experienced a fall at turn nine and chose to continue racing, a decision that reflected the grit typical of the sport’s veterans. The battle for pole tightened as the minutes wore on, underscoring how competitive the field was this weekend.
[Consulta el calendario de Moto2]
Following Salac, Vietti climbed back into the mix, with Alonso Lopez taking third place, and Manuel Gonzalez of Spain, nicknamed Manugas, sitting close behind along with Arón Canet, all aboard Kalex machines. The pack was tightly packed, with the next window of opportunity. Pedro Acosta entered the frame again, his expectation to claim another top lap seeing him push hard with several sets of hot laps. He remained solidly in a challenging position, just outside the very top with the clock winding down and the pressure mounting.
In the closing moments, the session delivered a dramatic sequence of laps. The Dutch rider Bo Bendsneyder chased the leaders with a bold second lap that catapulted him to the third fastest time, a fraction behind Acosta and Salac, who traded places as the times shifted once more. Then Vietti surged forward with a final lap that looked nearly perfect, a lap of 2:09.432 that slipped past his competitors just as they began to doubt their own chances. The result put Vietti in the best possible position: pole, ahead of Acosta and Salac, with Bendsneyder, Lopez, and Dixon following closely behind on the second row. Canet, Arbolino and Manugas filled the third line, while Alcoba, Aldeguer and Baltus sat in the fourth echelon, with Arenas, Foggia and Chantra in fifth on the starting grid. This arrangement promised a race full of action from lights out to checkered flag, with every rider aware that a single mistake here could ruin a weekend built on weeks of preparation and ambition.