Spectacular Zarco Smashes Lap Record To Score Pole
Monster Yamaha Tech3's Johann Zarco recorded a jaw-dropping lap to establish a new Losail lap record and claim the pole position for Sunday's MotoGP season opener.
Dorna Communications
Beating a lap record which has stood for a decade, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) stunned the MotoGP field to take pole position at the Grand Prix of Qatar, 0.202s ahead of his rivals with a lap time of 1.53.680.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will line up at the Losail International Circuit in second position on the grid, as the reigning world champion was also able to lap under the record pace on his final flying stint. Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) completes the front row, continuing his strong pace throughout the weekend with the Desmosedici – as he was the final rider to break the 2008 lap record.
Heading the second row will be Brit Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL) in an impressive fourth position, beating Friday’s fastest Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) to the line as the Italian prepares for battle from fifth. Spaniard Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) took sixth as he ends the session 0.659 off pole position.
The third row will be led by Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), matching his grid position in 2017 under the floodlights. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ended qualifying in eighth position as he was unable to secure a fast lap time, narrowly ahead of Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team).
Q1’s fastest man Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) took 10th position this evening, beating Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) in 11th, whilst 2017 race winner Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will start 2018 from 12th position.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) prepares to line up from 13th on the grid after a competitive Q1 session, ahead of rookies Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who will make their debuts from 14th and 15th position.
Moto2
Qualifying for the intermediate class was a drama-filled affair as ever, as the floodlights came on and the temperature dropped, creating perfect conditions in the battle for the top spot on the grid. It’s been a faultless weekend so far for Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and that continued in qualifying, with the Spaniard setting an unbeatable time that took him to the top of the order midway through the session.
He will be joined on the front row by a rejuvenated Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), with the tall Italian looking very comfortable on his Kalex. Countryman Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) completes the front row just over half-a-second adrift from the quickest pace.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira is in good shape at a circuit where he battled for the podium last year and lines up heading the second row. He’s joined by rookie sensation Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) who has vastly out-performed expectations in his first ever Moto2™ weekend – the same can be said for Danny Kent (Beta Tools – Speed Up Racing) after the returning Briton managed the sixth fastest time.
Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) complete the top ten. Sticking with the 2013 WorldSSP Champion, it wasn’t all plain sailing after crashing at Turn 7. He escaped unharmed and returned to the track later in the session.
We’re ready to go racing on Sunday in Moto2 and with 12 riders within a second of each other, it’s set to be very close. For full results from the session, click here.
We’re ready to go racing on Sunday in Moto2 and with 12 riders within a second of each other, it’s set to be very close.
Moto3
Qualifying for the lightweight class saw the sun beginning to set but far from ideal circuit conditions due to strong winds blowing dust onto the tarmac. However, times still came through thick and fast right at the very end of the session in the quest for the first pole position of 2018 in the lightweight class.
The honor went to Nicolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) who set a 2:06.364 after the checkered flag fell to take his first pole in two years, and marking the first time ever that Paolo Simoncelli’s Italian team will head the grid in Moto3. Just 0.001 adrift of Antonelli was 2017 qualifying superstar, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), with Argentine, Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider), completing the front row of the grid.
2016 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing), kicked off his season in style by heading the second row with Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) making it two Japanese riders inside the top five. Marco Bezzechi (Redox PruestelGP) is looking very at home on his KTM too, lining up on the outside of the second row.
Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), Philipp Oettl (Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing) and the Leopard Racing duo of Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Enea Bastianini complete the top ten.
Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) is the top rookie and lines up 13th, whilst all eyes were on the other Spanish newcomer Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) after he suffered the only crash midway through the session at Turn 9 – rider OK.
The stage is set for the opening Moto3™ race of the season on Sunday and it kicks off at 16.00 local time (GMT+3).