Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez rescued MotoGP pole position from potential disaster when his preferred RC213V broke down on his second run in qualifying two and he had to run back to his garage to pick up the second bike.
The Repsol Honda youngster parked his stricken bike on the pitwall just an out lap after it had failed to start in pitlane. He then had just two minutes and 20 seconds to get on to the track while observing the pitlane limiter and cross the line before the chequered flag.
With seconds to spare, Marquez flashed across the line and then put in an astonishing 2’02.135 to obliterate his own circuit best even though he made two huge errors on lap and demote Andrea Dovizioso to second and the ill Jorge Lorenzo to the outside of the second row.
Lorenzo, who is suffering from bronchitis, had nabbed top spot from Britain’s Cal Crutchlow as Marquez cruised to a halt and must have thought pole was his as the Spaniard joined Crutchlow under Marquez’s outright lap of 2'02.773.
Dovizioso then swung into action with the soft rear tyre adorning the GP15 and lowered the bar even further with a 2’02.474. The Italian then followed Marquez on his fastest lap but couldn’t take advantage.
Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi also spoiled Crutchlow’s party, slipping ahead of the CWM LCR Honda man on his final lap but they are joined on the second row by Estrella Galacia’s Scott Redding who caught a smart tow from Lorenzo to bag sixth place with a 2’02.674 as the top six are covered by just half a second.
Andrea Iannone, who came through qualifying one, was seventh and he is joined on row three by Aleix and Pol Espargaro. Bradley Smith ended in tenth after leaving pitlane late and only getting in one run. Danilo Petrucci and Maverick Vinales complete the top 12.
Eugene Laverty ended qualifying as top Open Honda, sitting in 17th place with Jack Miller 19th and Nicky Hayden in 22nd for his 200th MotoGP race.
