MotoGP Argentina qualifying
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We'll have more follow-up from qualifying in the coming hours, and see you again tomorrow for the second race of the 2017 MotoGP season.
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Shout-out for Petrucci in fourth too, the only 2017 Ducati rider in Q2 certainly made the most of conditions.
The Spaniard also admitted the wet conditions helped to eliminate much of the acceleration deficit that the Honda RC213V has been famed for these past couple of years.
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Here's your poleman Marquez: "It was locking the front, sliding a lot, but the rain helped us a little bit to get this pole position. When I saw it was mixed conditions, I said 'it's my time, I try to push'."
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Jubilation for the Aspar squad in parc ferme, and justifiably so. 10th for Bautista would normally be reason enough for them to smile, but this is a whole other level for the Spanish team.
What a ride from Abraham. The Czech was cast into the World Superbike wilderness last year, struggling with an uncompetitive Milwaukee BMW, but he's back - and he's quick.
Rossi improves on his final lap, but it's only enough for seventh, ahead of Aleix Espargaro, Baz, Bautista, Folger and Iannone.
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That's it then, Marquez takes pole position followed by Abraham, Crutchlow, Petrucci, Pedrosa and Vinales!
Incredibly, it looks like Abraham has done enough for second!
Checkered flag
Chequered flag is out, looks like Marquez might have done enough for a fourth successive pole here in Argentina.
Rossi only seventh as he starts his last flying lap...
Crutchlow gets a place on the front row in third now, 0.7s down on Marquez.
Aleix Espargaro puts the Aprilia up to fifth now.
Petrucci goes third, followed by Pedrosa and Rossi - one minute left!
Stopwatch
Marquez fastest on a 1m47.512s, and Abraham slots into second!
Two minutes to go, plenty of red sectors on the timing screens now...
Few dry lines appearing, but it's still too wet to risk dry tyres.
Looks like Iannone did a lap on slicks there, but soon retreated to the pits.
Most riders are on medium-medium, but Vinales has gone with a soft rear.
Pedrosa goes second with a 1m49.008s, while Petrucci goes third.
Baz's previous best qualifying in MotoGP is tenth - what a chance this is for the Frenchman, whose 2015 Ducati seems to love these conditions.
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Order recap:
1. Marquez
2. Baz
3. Crutchlow
4. Vinales
5. Pedrosa
6. Petrucci
7. Abraham
8. Rossi
9. Bautista
10. Iannone
1. Marquez
2. Baz
3. Crutchlow
4. Vinales
5. Pedrosa
6. Petrucci
7. Abraham
8. Rossi
9. Bautista
10. Iannone
Second runs starting now, Rossi is back in the pits on the works Yamaha.
Vinales now improves to third with a 1m50.213s, although he's quickly displaced by Crutchlow.
Rossi is down in P8, two seconds slower than arch-rival Marquez.
Pedrosa is third, then it's Crutchlow and Vinales.
Stopwatch
Now it's Marquez who goes fastest on a 1m48.571s! That's more than a second clear of the pack.
Stopwatch
Baz goes top with a 1m49.630s now.
Baz setting a couple of red sectors, as is Abraham...
Baz is fourth, Abraham fifth and Vinales sixth. Marquez P11.
Stopwatch
Pedrosa fires in a 1m50.223s, Rossi slots into third behind Petrucci.
Stopwatch
It's a 1m50.765s for the Frenchman, immediately bettered by Pedrosa and Petrucci.
The Italian is back on track, Baz will be first man to set a laptime.
Iannone back in the pits without setting a flying lap for an early tyre change.
All 12 riders on track, Petrucci opts for a soft rear while everyone else goes medium-medium.
Green flag
Q2 is a go. Who'll be on pole?
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Abraham was thrilled to make into Q2 automatically, describing his Friday lap (for which he owes no small debt to Aspar team-mate Alvaro Bautista) as "awesome". But he said any result in the top 10 would be "great" for him, regardless.
By: Mitchell Adam
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