Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Sam Lowes set a new all-time lap record to dominate qualifying at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, with Augusto Fernandez securing a third row starting position for tomorrow’s San Marino Grand Prix.

• British rider Lowes was the undisputed star of the show in Q2 this afternoon when he became the fastest man ever on a Moto2 machine around the tight and technical 4.22km Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
• Lowes was untouchable in the 15-minute session and his stunning pace destroyed the all-time lap record by nearly half-a-second, while Fernandez is gearing up for another podium challenge on Italy’s Adriatic Coast after he missed the front row by just 0.3s.

///AUGUSTO FERNÁNDEZ: 8^th, 1:36.828, 27 laps

• Fernandez achieved his main goal of this morning’s FP3 session when a fast lap of 1:36.800 placed him sixth on the timesheets that moved him directly into Q2.
• The Spaniard was quickly in the groove in the hottest conditions of the day this afternoon and an impressive lap of 1:37.186 on his sixth lap of Q2 moved him into contention for the top 10.
• Fernandez then dug deep to fire in successive laps in the 1.36 bracket that moved him to within striking distance of the top six ahead of his bid for a second consecutive victory in San Marino tomorrow.
• He saved his best speed for his final flying lap and a 1:36.828 secured him eighth position, but he will move up one spot to seventh because of the pitlane start for teammate Lowes.

“I can maintain a good pace and that is important”

“It was a pity because I think I could have achieved a better result. I went out with traffic at the beginning and I couldn’t make a clean lap. We changed the tyres and when I was doing a good lap, I had a scare in the last corner that made me lose time. We will start from the third row and it’s not the result we wanted and it doesn’t match the level I think we are at. But it’s not a disaster either. I feel good with the bike, I am comfortable both to make a fast lap and to maintain a good steady pace and that is the important thing. I hope to make a good start, get in the front positions as soon as possible and hold on until the end.”

/// SAM LOWES: 1st, 1:36.170, 28 laps

• Lowes made a strong start to the second day of action this morning and he was immediately battling for the top three again while completing a 19-lap run to fine-tune his race set-up ahead of the intense Q2 session.
• Marco Bezzecchi finished FP3 only 0.240s clear of Lowes in fourth place and the Italian set a new all-time lap record of 1:36.512 in ambient temperatures that again almost reached 30 degrees.
• Lowes then delivered a remarkable display of aggressive riding in Q2 and he secured his first pole position since the Motorland Aragon round in 2016 and ninth of his career with a record-breaking lap of 1:36.170, which was a quarter-of-a-second faster than Remy Gardner.
• Due to a penalty imposed by the FIM MotoGP Stewards after last month’s Styrian Grand Prix in Austria, Lowes will start tomorrow’s 25-lap encounter from the pitlane.

“I’m very satisfied to set a new record”

“That pole lap felt so good and I really enjoyed it. There are so many positives to take from my first pole for quite some time! The team did a very good job because we’ve tried a few different things this weekend with an eye on performing well in qualifying and we put everything together to make a really competitive package. The lap was very good and I’m very satisfied to set a new record. I was very strong for one lap in qualifying and I have been competitive as well in terms of race pace, so I’m looking forward to a good fight tomorrow. It will not be easy starting from pitlane, but the goal will be to give it my all and score as many points as possible and reward the team for all their effort.”