The CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team rider was half a second faster than his rivals to break the track record

Dani Holgado continues to excel in his first year in the intermediate category. The CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team rider has secured his third pole position of the season, breaking the track record with a lead of more than half a second over second-placed Barry Baltus. Jake Dixon will occupy third position on the starting grid. David Alonso also had a positive day's work and set the sixth fastest time of the day, just ahead of Moto2 leader Manu González. His main rival in the title fight, Diogo Moreira, will have to fight his way up from sixteenth place.

The CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team rookies continue to impress in their first year in Moto2. Dani Holgado and David Alonso took advantage of this morning's free practice to continue improving their times and prepare for Sunday's race, which will be one of the most demanding of the season. Both riders secured direct entry into Q2 yesterday and in the afternoon faced a qualifying session in which there is increasing competition for a place on the front rows of the grid. Dani Holgado rode alone in search of a great lap that would allow him to achieve his goal. On the penultimate lap, the Spaniard rode with maximum precision to secure his third pole position of the season, setting a historic record: this is the first time a Moto2 rider has broken the 2:03 barrier at the Sepang circuit. Meanwhile, his teammate David Alonso continues to progress and improve his feel for the bike. The CFMOTO RCB Aspar Team rider also set his best time on the penultimate lap of qualifying and worked hard to try to join Holgado on the front row. The Colombian finished sixth, but only one tenth of a second behind the second and third place finishers.

1st Dani Holgado 2:02.858: “I had a great lap in qualifying. I felt very comfortable pushing the bike to the limit and achieving it. I am aware that this morning I wasn't the fastest in the race simulation, so this afternoon I will work hard with the team to see if we can improve the speed with the used tyres, as that was something that made riding difficult for me. It is always important to start from pole position or the front row, but the points are awarded tomorrow and Sundays are the days that really count.  I'm approaching it positively because I have more work to do and more things to learn, so we'll get down to work to take that little step forward that we need and enjoy the race tomorrow.”

6th David Alonso 2:03.586 (+0.728): “I felt very good and I'm happy with the pace we achieved today. The fast lap was good, but I'll take away the consistency we've had throughout the weekend. In the race, I'll focus on myself. Every time I go out on the track, I feel like the Moto2 is my bike. I'm getting the hang of it and I can tell I'm liking it more and more, but that's something that comes with time. The important thing in qualifying is to get into the first two rows. It's really difficult because it's very tight and everyone is very competitive, but we are well positioned for tomorrow. This afternoon we will continue working to plan the race well and find a good spot to be at the front.”