At Silverstone, Maverick Viñales took pole position in Moto3.

The session started on a dry track, and all the riders went out together to try to set a good time in case the rain started. It looked more like a race with so many riders, rather than an official practice session where pole position is at stake. Many riders went out with the fairing perforated to try to limit the effect of the strong wind that blows at Silverstone.

That same wind helped them by blowing “from behind” on the main straight, which allowed them to increase top speed, so from the first minutes all the records set during the three free practice sessions were beaten.

In fact, we had to wait until the final minutes to see the time of the Roses rider. Maverick set a 2:16.187, beating the provisional pole time that had been held for practically the whole session by the JHK LaGlisse rider Efrén Vázquez. Efrentxu had to settle for second place, just 0.198 thousandths behind. Third place went to Alexis Masbou. The Frenchman finished just under a second off pole.

We saw during the entire practice session that race direction cancelled numerous laps for many riders for exceeding the track limits. Nearly all the run-off areas at this British circuit are asphalt, so if you go off the kerb you can keep accelerating because you don’t lose traction, and with the momentum you gain time.

The Spanish riders, behind the 1st place of Maverick and the 2nd of Efrén, finished somewhat further back. Luis Salom was 6th, as race direction cancelled his last lap, which would have given him the 4th best time, because he went beyond the track limits at the entry to the finish straight on that lap. Alex Rins was 10th, Alberto Moncayo 16th, Héctor Faubel 23rd, Isaac Viñales 28th and the Cadiz rider Iván Moreno 34th.

Statements from Maverick Viñales:

Throughout qualifying I looked for my rhythm and my lap time without worrying about getting onto another rider’s tow. Cortese complains that people chase him and take advantage, but when he does it he says nothing. Everyone does the same thing.

Statements from Efrén Vázquez:

I think we had a good session. We thought it might rain, so we had to set a fast time. It’s a pity we didn’t hold on to the pole, which we were really looking forward to. This second place on the grid matches our best result so far, which was at Le Mans.

Photos | motogp.com