Misano MotoGP qualifying
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Checkered flag
Well, what a race we have in store.
Do make sure you join us again on Sunday afternoon for what promises to be a memorable San Marino Grand Prix.
Do make sure you join us again on Sunday afternoon for what promises to be a memorable San Marino Grand Prix.
Autosport
This is just the second time this year Marquez has qualified off the front row. If you believe in omens, that was at the Dutch TT - where Vinales won.
Can we also just take a minute to appreciate MotoGP itself: a works Yamaha, a works KTM and a satellite Yamaha on the front row, with five of the six manufacturers inside the top nine. You don't get competition like that anywhere else in world championship motorsport.
Another weekend and another pole position slips from Quartararo, but he'll be happy with third. Good recovery by Dovizioso to sixth.
Huge result for Espargaro and KTM. KTM's first dry front row start and it's best qualifying result of its very short MotoGP career. Can he be a podium threat tomorrow?
This is Vinales's first pole since the opening round of the year in Qatar. And it was done pretty emphatically.
I think Rossi may escape any penalty, given Marquez's lap at that point was not legal.
Replay shows Marquez threw his bike up the inside at Turn 11. But he ran wide at the next turn and Rossi sort of lazily went up the inside at Turn 14.
Information
Vinales, Espargaro, Quartararo is your front row. Morbidelli, Marquez, Dovizioso row two. Rossi, Zarco, Rins row three. Mir, Nakagami, Pirro row four.
Marquez is fifth.
Crash
Drama! Rossi got in the way of Marquez at Turn 14 and Marquez looks furious.
Stopwatch
Vinales takes over with a 1m32/265s. A massive lap from the Yamaha rider.
Vinales and Marquez are on good laps though.
Checkered flag
Espargaro goes top with a 1m32.560s!
Espargaro is still behind Quartararo - whose lap has gone away after a moment at Curvone - and is only just outside of the pole time.
Rossi can play some games here with Marquez and safeguard a Yamaha front row. Marquez has no choice but to go for it next time around sitting in fourth currently.
Quartararo is up in sector one.
Marquez is tucked in behind Rossi. Rossi can't back out of it with a minute to go.
Rins improves to seventh, 0.694s off pole.
And Quartararo has rolled out of that lap as he was being followed by Espargaro, who in turn has backed out.
Morbidelli has been urged this weekend to pull a bit more out of the locker on time attacks, and he is certainly doing that. Meanwhile, Quartararo is just a fraction down on his best.
Crash
Huge slide for Morbidelli at Turn 13. He holds onto it, but that's ruined this lap.
Some personal best sectors coming in, with Morbidelli fastest through sector two.
Vinales moves up to third with a 1m32.727s. Marquez aborts after a scrappy lap and is coming back in for a third run on his other bike.
Quartararo heads out now, and is being followed by Espargaro. If Espargaro can find himself a good reference, don't rule him out for a surprise front row.
Nothing special going for Vinales on this lap. Marquez down by 0.239s after sector one. Quartararo's lap looks safe for now.
Marquez now starts his second run.
Vinales goes onto a lap, and is in clean air.
Might be tight for Marquez to deploy his usual three-run strategy with just under seven minutes to go. But he's back out there on a fresh soft slick.
Dovizioso up to 10th, but is 1.1s off the pace. Pitlane gets a lot busier.
SRT one-two thus far, with Marquez, Vinales, Rossi, Pol Espargaro, Mir, Zarco, Rins, Pirro, Nakagami, Dovizioso completing the top 12. Eight minutes to go.
Stopwatch
Quartararo goes even quicker with a 1m32.571s, and has a massive stoppie into Turn 1.
Timing screen is giving a Pink Floyd lighting show a run for its money - red sectors flashing everywhere.
Q1 graduate Mir up to third straightaway ahead of Vinales and Rossi.
Stopwatch
Quartararo takes over though with a 1m32.666s - the fastest lap of the weekend so far.
Stopwatch
Morbidelli sets the pace with a 1m33.226s.
Quartararo is pushing but is coming up on a hell of a lot of traffic.
Marquez backs out of it at the Rio complex.
And, predictably, the whole field backs off as they look for clear air. Rins, Pirro, Marquez, Morbidelli all checked up. Marquez has decided to go, though.
By: Matt Beer
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