Moto2 and Moto3 Australia: González and Pratama on pole

Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Saturday 24 October 2026 produced two surprises in the intermediate and lightweight classes. In Moto2, Manuel González took pole position ahead of Belgium's Barry Baltus. In Moto3, Veda Pratama became the first Indonesian to claim a pole in the category.

Moto2: González benefits from Agius's crash

Q2 looked set to go to Australia's Senna Agius, who set a 1:30.295 mid-session and sat provisionally on pole for a long time in front of his home crowd. But on his last run on a new rear tyre he lost control of his Kalex at turn 8, just as his Intact GP teammate Manuel González was about to displace him. Agius will start seventh.

González, the championship leader, had made a poor start to Q2 and was eleventh after the first run. He set 1:30.122 on the final lap. The top of the grid:

1. Manuel González: 1:30.122;
2. Barry Baltus, a tenth behind;
3. Filip Salač, up from 17th during the session;
4. Ivan Ortola, through from Q1;
5. Dani Holgado;
6. Izan Guevara, 0.155 s off pole.

Guevara, fastest on Friday, never found the right rhythm in Q2. David Alonso could do no better than 14th. Aron Canet (Marc VDS), who fractured a thumb on Friday, and Alex Escrig (Forward), injured in Free Practice 1, will not start.

Moto3: Pratama beats the champion by 0.021 s

In changing conditions, with rain coming and going, Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia), who came through Q1, set 1:35.299. On his last lap he used his position at the back of the pack to follow the riders ahead. He beat Maximo Quiles, the new world champion, by 0.021 s, with Australia's Joel Kelso completing the front row.

Kelso had his final attempt ruined when Rico Salmela hit him at turn 4. Joel Esteban took fourth, Eddie O'Shea fifth. David Almansa, who had climbed to fourth, crashed as the showers intensified and drops to 11th. Brian Uriarte, on pole in Indonesia last week, starts 14th, behind Alvaro Carpe (12th) and Valentin Perrone (13th), the latter with a long lap penalty.

Key points

• Moto2: González on pole (1:30.122), Baltus second, Agius seventh after his crash.
• Moto3: Pratama on pole (1:35.299), the first Indonesian pole in the category.
• Canet and Escrig are out in Moto2.