Danny Webb took his and Mahindra's first ever 125cc pole position in the series' last ever qualifying session at a damp 4.005-km Ricardo Tormo circuit at Valencia.
Drying conditions prompted a spectacular pole battle, with Webb, Louis Rossi and Alexis Masbou choosing to go for slick tyres in the closing moments and reaping the benefits.
The British rider made by far the best use of the slicks to set a string of searing provisional pole times, eventually ending on a 1m45.988s - nearly two seconds clear of the field for a while, although second-placed Rossi's MatteoniAprilia was within half a second in the end.
“The last 125 race, and the last pole in the first year of the team! We’ve put Mahindra in the record books, and it feels really great. The track was never completely wet or dry and I was struggling. With six or seven minute to go I came in and asked the team to fit slicks. They said no, but I said yes”, quipped the elated Englishman.
“So they put them on and off I went. I didn’t know how slippery it was going to be, but I had a good feeling, and for the last two laps I was almost as quick as in the dry this morning”, he said.
Mahindra Group’s vice chairman and managing director Mr Anand Mahindra got a chance to witness his team’s historic moment shortly after he unveiled the 2012 Mahindra MG30 Moto 3 Machine. “This is my first grand prix, and as soon as I come we get our first pole position, I think I am going to have to change my schedule for next year!” he exclaimed.
“It’s very exciting for all of us to have this feeling – although we can’t get ahead of ourselves as the race is only tomorrow. The team has made a lot of progress in our first year.This pole position is a good reward andlet’s hope for a good race.”