2014 Sepang Moto2 Qualifying
The 2014 Moto2 title battle between Marc VDS Racing teammate Esteve Rabat and Mika Kallio continues this weekend at the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit.
Forty-one points separates leader Rabat from Kallio with two rounds remaining, but Rabat has a chance to clinch the title this weekend in Malaysia.
He’s in the most optimal position to do so, also, after qualifying on pole Saturday. This was Rabat’s 10th pole of 2014 Moto2, and he never was beat on the time sheets. He took the top time with a 2:07.429 around the 3.444-mile circuit.
Not far back, though, was Kallio, who qualified second, 0.158 of a second back. Taking the final front-row position 0.277 of a second back was Dynavolt Intact GP’s Sandro Cortese.
For Kallio to remain a title contender and prevent Rabat from clinching the title a round early, he must finish in the top-two positions.
Heading up the second row is future Suzuki MotoGP pilot, Paginal Amarillas HP 40’s Maverick Vinales. His was joined on row two by his fellow rookie and fellow Phillip Island podium finisher, Interwetten Sitag’s Thomas Luth, and IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia’s Takaaki Nakagami.
Completing the top 10 were Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team), Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham), Dominique Aegerter (Technomag CarXpert) and Axel Pons (AGR Team). The top 10 riders were all within 0.715s of pole. The top 17 were split by just one second.
Mattia Pasini (NGM Forward Racing) had a strange front end crash at Turn 1 early in the session. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Gresini Moto2) and Ricky Cardus (Tech 3) also suffered small offs. Thitipong Warokorn (APH PTT The Pizza SAG) slid off at Turn 15 in the second half of the session. All riders were unhurt, MotoGP says.