Moto3: Rodrigo goes from medical centre to maiden pole in one lap

Argentine racer Gabriel Rodrigo has gone from the medical centre to pole position for tomorrow’s Czech Grand Prix in only one lap, after missing out on the start of today’s qualifying session thanks to a crash only a handful of laps in.

Yet despite injuries that left him with an injured collarbone and swollen foot after the spill, he managed to break out of the medical centre in time to complete one flying lap of the Brno circuit at the end of the session – and thanks to rapid pace and fortuitous timing, it was enough to hand him his first pole position in the Moto3 class.

“I really still can’t believe it, because four minutes before I was on the back of the grid. I had a bit of luck with the group I was in and took a good slipstream after my job did a great job and fixed the bike.”

The man he deposed was Romano Fenati on the Marinelli Rivacold Snipers Honda, who was second fastest after having proved the pacesetter for much of qualifying, with the second of the RBA BOE Racing KTMs of Juanfran Guevara completing the front row after an emotional rollercoaster qualifying for the team.

Championship leader Joan Mir heads the second row from Nicolo Bulega, despite a punishing highside for the Italian in free practice three, ahead of Red Bull KTM rider Bo Bendsneyder, while Marcos Ramirez, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Livio Loi completed the third row.

However, it was a less successful day for John McPhee on the British Talent Team Honda, who will start from a distant 19^th thanks to a series of crashes.

“It was not the best of days to say the least but despite the two crashes I feel like my pace is good. I was unlucky not to get a lap on my last run in qualifying but I can still do a good job from 19th on the grid tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the race.”