Reiging MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez put in the first-ever sub two-minute lap of Silverstone to take pole position for tomorrow’s race.The Repsol Honda man bounced back from a brace of crashes yesterday to take top spot in qualifying two but was pushed hard by nine-time champion Valentino Rossi with Britain’s Cal Crutchlow completing the front row at his home race.
Marquez, using a hard/soft tyre combination, had been on for a 1’59 in his first run but made a mess of it at Brooklands after being out of the seat twice in the lap but he made sure of it with his final run, setting a 1’59.941.
Rossi pulled a lap out of the bag and was significantly faster than Marquez on his last effort, but lost three-tenths in the final sector to come home with a 2’00.025. Crutchlow finished on a 2’00.106 after admitting a mistake at turn 13 that he thinks also cost him a 1’59s lap.
Maverick Vinales will head the second row on his Movistar Yamaha and he has Jorge Lorenzo, whose Ducati broke down in FP4, next to him. The former champion set a 2’00.399 to stay ahead of team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.
Dani Pedrosa had to come through qualifying one to steal seventh place and a higher track temperature will have aided the tiny Spaniard to find some pace this afternoon. Johann Zarco, Aleix Espargaro - who is riding with a torn rib ligament - and Jonas Folger complete the top ten.
Pol Espargaro suffered an early crash which put paid to his session and he ended in 11th with Scott Redding in 12th place.
Alex Rins only missed a Q2 spot by a tenth of a second so starts tomorrow from 13th on the Ecstar Suzuki, just ahead of Alvaro Bautista and Andrea Iannone. Bradley Smith found a second over his FP3 time to set a 2’02.017 for 19th place while Sam Lowes was 23rd.
