Moto3 Argentina: Ayumu Sasaki secures back-to-back poles

Husqvarna IntactGP rider Ayumu Sasaki will start on pole position for the second Moto3 World Championship round of the season in Argentina after snatching the top spot from Deniz Oncu in the final moments at Termas de Rio Hondo.

Fastest in the only dry free practice sessions to take place on Friday, Sasaki was again the form man when it mattered in Q2, which took place in dry conditions following a rainy start to proceedings this morning.

Considered one of the more favoured title contenders this season, Sasaki will keen to improve upon his pole-starting advantage after finishing adrift in sixth place last weekend.

Sasaki’s last gasp effort was enough to lever KTM Ajo’s Deniz Oncu out of first and into second position on the grid, the Turkish rider another eager to give his 2023 Moto3 season some momentum after finishing down in tenth in Portugal.

Diogo Moreira on the MT Helmets MSI KTM completes the front row, the Brazilian and Oncu ending the session a substantial 0.6s shy of the pole winner.

Ivan Ortega heads up row two on the Angeluss MTA KTM, the Spaniard - like Oncu ahead - having ended Q2 strongly having started their qualifying sessions via Q1 first.

Leopard Racing team-mates Jaume Masia and Tetsuki Suzuki complete the second row in fifth and sixth, while GasGas Aspar’s David Alonso fronts row three in seventh.

Alongside him will be Scott Ogden, the VisionTrack Racing rider securing only the third top eight start of his burgeoning Moto3 career.

Elsewhere, Portimao Moto3 race winner Daniel Holgado has his work cut out to repeat that feat from tenth on the grid, while other anticipated front runners with a battle on their hands tomorrow include Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA) in 14th and Xavier Artigas