Moto3: Canet gives Biaggi pole on team debut

Aron Canet has given Max Biaggi’s new Max Racing Team the first pole position of the 2019 Moto3 season on their debut, taking the top spot at the Losail circuit for tomorrow’s Qatar Grand Prix. Playing it smart in Moto3’s new qualifying format to outfox fastest man throughout the weekend Romano Fenati, the Spaniard ended the day 0.2 ahead of Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Kaito Toba.

Brit John McPhee was fourth, taking an impressive result after moving through from Q1 in the new format. Speaking afterwards, he said: “I am very happy, not just for me but for the whole Petronas Sprinta Racing team. To come through Q1 and then qualify on the second row in Q2 is a great result. I felt strong in the preseason tests and I thought I could be up at the front, but we struggled a little in FP2 yesterday, so it’s a great achievement to have turned the situation around. I’m looking forward to the race because my race pace has been my strong point up to now and I think it should allow me to challenge at the front in the race.”

Fellow British racer Tom Booth Amos will start his inaugural race as a full-time racer in 26^th place.