A. Marquez on pole

As Saturday’s Moto3 Tissot Australian Grand Prix QP action came to a close, it was Alex Marquez who took pole position, with Alex Rins and Juanfran Guevara also on the front row. Championship leader Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) got his third pole of 2014 with a 1’36.050 lap to qualify just 0.014s ahead of his second placed teammate Rins. Guevara (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3) took third place by 0.339s. On the second row Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) and John McPhee (SaxoPrint-RTG) qualified in front of Efren Vazquez (SaxoPrint-RTG). In a session which saw the riders battling against traffic around the picturesque Phillip Island circuit Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) qualified in the middle of the third row, sandwiched by Jasper Iwema (CIP) and Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold). Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46) will line up on the grid in tenth. Two seconds covered the top 29 in the session highlighting the competitiveness of the class once again. Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold) fell early in the session and was able to rejoin. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo) lost the front at Turn 1, his leathers protecting him, but ending his session. Indeed the crash saw Ajo suffer a fracture of fifth finger on the left hand, but he is fit to race on Sunday. Eric Granado (Calvo Team) took a very heavy fall, his second of the day, and like Ajo was taken to the medical center. Suffering dorsal pain Granado was later taken to Dandenong hospital for CT scan after initial x-rays did not show any injury. Enea Bastianini (Junior Team GO&FUN Gresini) also had a small off in the closing stages.