Ferris battles to top 10 result in Saturday qualifying.
While the season is winding down with the penultimate round of the series taking place today, Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass put in flawless performances to go pole at the MXGP of Leon.
Newly-crowned MXGP World Champion Febvre pulled the holeshot and checked out to win his third qualifying race of the season.
While Febvre authenticated his crown and gapped everyone, Team HRC’s duo of Gautier Paulin and Evgeny Bobryshev kept things interesting as they battled the wrath of Hitachi Construction Machinery Revo KTM’s Shaun Simpson for second.
Paulin managed to stabilise second while Simpson kept strong for third, but Bobryshev pumped up and dropped back to sixth by race’s end.
Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl was forced to hang back after his roll-offs broke on the opening lap, but he managed to stay out of the line of roost and finished fourth ahead of Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff.
Top of the Australians was Dean Ferris in 10th position, while fellow Husqvarna-mounted countryman Todd Waters overcame a heavy crash for 13th on Saturday.
With the MX2 title on the line, Jonass has taken the mental advantage heading into race-day tomorrow after he busted out a massive holeshot and won his first ever qualifying race by a mile.
Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Julien Lieber and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Thomas Covington both seem to perform better outside of the European continent and lived up to their reputations with their second and third place finishes.
Meanwhile the red plate holder Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser looked frustrated in fourth as he struggled to better the pace of Lieber and Covington.
With a good start being essential here on the sun baked soil of Leon, Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie bounced back from a mediocre start to take fifth on the final lap from Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Benoit Paturel.