Reigning MotoGP World champion Marc Marquez has scorched to MotoGP pole position at Indianapolis today, setting a 1’31.884 on his second lap but the Spanish wunderkind was chased hard by team-mate Dani Pedrosa - who has quietly gone about his business all weekend - while Jorge Lorenzo pulled a lap out of the bag as the chequered flag came out to take third.
Marquez was two-tenths outside his own pole record from last year but until Pedrosa upped his game, the Repsol Honda man had a three-tenth advantage over Bradley Smith. The Briton had gone to the top of the sheets early doors on a 1’32.589 but then slipped back as the pack found their pace. He did rebound with a 1’32.269 which was good enough for sixth place
One of those putting in a lap from the gods was Cal Crutchlow. The CWM LCR Honda man was languishing in 11th place until he managed a 1’32.208 with only two minutes of the session to go and will start from the top of the second row. As well as Smith, Crutchlow will be joined by Danilo Petrucci who came through from qualifying one with a 1’32.886 and then bettered it with an incredible 1’32.243 using the soft tyre.
Andrea Iannone was the first of the works Ducatis, who have been struggling in America, and he ended in seventh place. He will line-up alongside Valentino Rossi, who is back in his customary third-row spot with Ecstar Suzuki’s Maverick Vinales. Andrea Dovizioso rounds out the top ten with the Espargaro brothers finishing row four - Pol just faster than Aleix.
Scott Redding was once again beaten up by the soft-tyred bikes in qualifying one and will start tomorrow’s race from 13th with Hector Barbera and Yonny Hernandez. Eugene Laverty starts from 20th.
