Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian rider Veda Ega Pratama secured pole position for the Moto3 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island Circuit on Saturday, becoming the first Indonesian rider to claim pole position in the Moto3 World Championship.
"Just made history for Indonesia," MotoGP wrote in an Instagram post alongside a picture of the 17-year-old rider.
Representing Honda Team Asia, Veda topped qualifying with a lap time of 1:35.299.
The Yogyakarta-born racer was 0.021 seconds faster than Spain's Maximo Quiles, who has already secured this season's Moto3 championship title, and 0.067 seconds quicker than home rider Joel Kelso.
Veda made history despite starting his qualifying campaign in Qualifying 1 (Q1), where he finished fourth to advance to Q2 before taking his maiden pole position.
The result gives him a strong advantage on the starting grid as he seeks his best Grand Prix finish of the season, having already become the first Indonesian rider to claim a podium in Grand Prix racing.
Veda's best results this season include a third-place finish at Brazil's Autodromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in March and a fourth-place finish at Le Mans in France in May.
He currently sits eighth in the Moto3 championship standings with 111 points. Quiles has amassed 351 points to secure an unassailable lead at the top, followed by Alvaro Carpe with 217 points and Brian Uriarte with 198 points.
The 21-lap Moto3 Australian Grand Prix race is scheduled to take place on Sunday (October 25) at 7 a.m. Jakarta time.
The top 10 qualifying results were as follows:
1. Veda Ega Pratama (Honda Team Asia) - 1:35.299
2. Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) - 1:35.320 (+0.021)
3. Joel Kelso (GRYD Racing) - 1:35.366 (+0.067)
4. Joel Esteban (LEVEL UP-MTA) - 1:35.376 (+0.077)
5. Eddie O'Shea (GRYD Racing) - 1:35.447 (+0.148)
6. Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) - 1:35.618 (+0.319)
7. Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) - 1:35.679 (+0.380)
8. Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) - 1:35.809 (+0.510)
9. Kiattisak Singhapong (Rivacold Snipers Team) - 1:35.841 (+0.542)
10. Matteo Bertelle (LEVEL UP - MTA) - 1:35.912 (+0.613).
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Translator: Zaro Ezza, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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