MotoGP Valencia: Marquez on pole despite crash, Dovizioso ninth
Marc Marquez will start the title-deciding MotoGP season finale at Valencia from pole position despite a late crash in qualifying, while championship rival Andrea Dovizioso was only ninth
Honda man Marquez, who only needs a top-11 finish on Sunday to guarantee his fourth premier class title, set the early pace with a 1m30.424s, before improving to a 1m29.897s at the end of his first run.
That time would ultimately be good enough for an eighth pole position of the season by a margin of 0.349s over Tech3 Yamaha rider Johann Zarco.
Marquez denied himself the chance to improve when he lost the front end of his works Honda at the Turn 4 right-hander at the start of his second run with just over two minutes remaining.
Suzuki's Andrea Iannone briefly became Marquez's nearest challenger shortly afterwards with a 1m30.399s, before Zarco took the place away with a 1m30.246s.
Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo looked to be the only rider with the pace to topple Marquez, but will start fourth after crashing at the end of his first run at the final corner.
The session was a bigger struggle for his team-mate Dovizioso, who has to win to have any chance of beating Marquez to the title.
Dovizioso languished down in 12th at the halfway mark and though he improved to ninth by the end of the session, he was still 1.064s off the pace.
Splitting the two factory Ducati riders on the grid are Dani Pedrosa (Honda), Ducati tester Michele Pirro, top factory Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), another late crasher.
The second Suzuki of Alex Rins, Pol Espargaro and Jack Miller completed the top 12, although KTM rider Espargaro starts from the pits for exceeding his season's engine allocation in Friday practice.
The highest-profile casualty in Q1 was the second factory Yamaha of Maverick Vinales, who could only manage the third-best time in the opening qualifying segment.
His best time of 1m31.030s briefly put him second, behind Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, but moments later he was demoted to third as Pol Espargaro jumped to the top of the times.
It means Vinales starts 13th on the grid - 12th when Pol's pitlane penalty is factored in - ahead of Tito Rabat (Marc VDS Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati).
A late crash for Cal Crutchlow at Turn 10 means the LCR Honda rider starts 16th, one place ahead of the second KTM of Bradley Smith.
Sam Lowes will start his final MotoGP race for Aprilia from 24th after a late crash, while Tech 3 stand-in Michael van der Mark brings up the rear.
Qualifying times
Pos | Rider | Team | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 1m29.897s | - |
2 | Johann Zarco | Tech3 Yamaha | 1m30.246s | 0.349s |
3 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 1m30.399s | 0.502s |
4 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 1m30.460s | 0.563s |
5 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | 1m30.589s | 0.692s |
6 | Michele Pirro | Ducati | 1m30.764s | 0.867s |
7 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 1m30.848s | 0.951s |
8 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1m30.857s | 0.960s |
9 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1m30.961s | 1.064s |
10 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 1m30.972s | 1.075s |
11 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 1m31.044s | 1.147s |
12 | Jack Miller | MVDS Honda | 1m31.190s | 1.293s |
13 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | 1m31.030s | 1.133s |
14 | Tito Rabat | MVDS Honda | 1m31.197s | 1.300s |
15 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Ducati | 1m31.216s | 1.319s |
16 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | 1m31.297s | 1.400s |
17 | Bradley Smith | KTM | 1m31.300s | 1.403s |
18 | Karel Abraham | Aspar Ducati | 1m31.325s | 1.428s |
19 | Mika Kallio | KTM | 1m31.361s | 1.464s |
20 | Hector Barbera | Avintia Ducati | 1m31.487s | 1.590s |
21 | Alvaro Bautista | Aspar Ducati | 1m31.578s | 1.681s |
22 | Scott Redding | Pramac Ducati | 1m31.625s | 1.728s |
23 | Loris Baz | Avintia Ducati | 1m31.775s | 1.878s |
24 | Sam Lowes | Aprilia | 1m31.816s | 1.919s |
25 | Michael van der Mark | Tech3 Yamaha | 1m32.504s | 2.607s |
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