Moto2: Oliveira takes the top spot as confusion reigns

Miguel Oliveira will start tomorrow’s Moto2 race at Motorland Aragon from pole position – but only after confusion over a penalty for exceeding track limits initially saw the Red Bull KTM rider excluded from the winners’ enclosure and demoted to ninth place.

He was punished for exceeding track limits during his pole-setting lap time and demoted down the order before race officials realised that he had set another faster lap time, allowing him to return to the front row for tomorrow’s race – and giving him the perfect day.

“The truth is that we couldn’t ask for more. This pole position will be very important for the start of tomorrow’s race. We’re confident because we have a very good pace, although other riders do as well. I think there could be a group at the front, so we will have to be prepared to fight – especially when the tyres begin to drop off.

“It will be interesting to see who is strong then. After getting pole, seeing there had been a penalty and then having it given back, we could say that I already did my warmup for tomorrow walking up and down pit lane! Even if I hadn’t been given it in the end, I would still have been happy with my pace.”

The correction moves Mattia Pasini to second place alongside the Portuguese rider, with Alex Marquez completing a strong return from injury in third.

His Marc VDS teammate and championship leader Franco Morbidelli will lead the second row in fourth ahead of Simone Corsi and Jorge Navarro, while the top ten is rounded out by Thomas Luthi, Marcel Schrotter, Sandro Cortese and Takaaki Nakagami.

British rider Tarran Mackenzie made major improvements on yesterday’s gap to the leaders, halving the gap to finish the day two seconds off and in 33^rd.