Qatar MotoGP qualifying
By: Matt Beer
Summary
Status: Stopped
That's a wrap from us today, but check back in later on Autosport and Motorsport.com for post-race coverage after an eventful first qualifying of the season.
See you tomorrow for the race.
See you tomorrow for the race.
Dovizioso: "I'm really happy, really happy because we came here before the weekend with not a really good feeling after a strange test.
"Really happy also because this weekend we work in a really good way. We improve step by step, practice by practice, small things, but the key was to stay calm, also when the speed wasn't there.
"We came in FP4 and in qualifying with a better feeling, and the laptime came.
"We are very close to the fastest riders."
"Really happy also because this weekend we work in a really good way. We improve step by step, practice by practice, small things, but the key was to stay calm, also when the speed wasn't there.
"We came in FP4 and in qualifying with a better feeling, and the laptime came.
"We are very close to the fastest riders."
Vinales: "Well, actually I think we work pretty good this weekend, I always try to work for the race set-up but I felt great for one lap.
"Already straight away I did 53 so I felt really good, and in second time attack I just gave my best. We are bringing the bike on the limit all the time and that's really positive.
"I think the way I'm riding is the best Maverick in these three seasons, so I think I'm doing right now good lines, but we need to improve. As I said, last corner we're pretty slow, we have two opponents that make the best top speed, so tomorrow, race time, we have really good rhythm because I can hit 54s at the end of the race, so let's see what we can do.
"But honestly, I'm pretty sure that we can do good."
"Already straight away I did 53 so I felt really good, and in second time attack I just gave my best. We are bringing the bike on the limit all the time and that's really positive.
"I think the way I'm riding is the best Maverick in these three seasons, so I think I'm doing right now good lines, but we need to improve. As I said, last corner we're pretty slow, we have two opponents that make the best top speed, so tomorrow, race time, we have really good rhythm because I can hit 54s at the end of the race, so let's see what we can do.
"But honestly, I'm pretty sure that we can do good."
Marquez: "I mean, today the conditions of the track were not so good, really cold, really windy.
"For that reason yesterday we, all the riders, pushed a lot to make one hour earlier because every time it's colder and colder, and basically we saw, I crash in FP4 and I was not pushing, many crashes on the left corners.
"But okay. Today we suffer a little bit more with the wind, it's true yesterday I had a better pace and a better rhythm, but anyway we work really hard for the race.
"We will see tomorrow which is the conditions. If it's like today, if it's like this cold, we need to survive."
"For that reason yesterday we, all the riders, pushed a lot to make one hour earlier because every time it's colder and colder, and basically we saw, I crash in FP4 and I was not pushing, many crashes on the left corners.
"But okay. Today we suffer a little bit more with the wind, it's true yesterday I had a better pace and a better rhythm, but anyway we work really hard for the race.
"We will see tomorrow which is the conditions. If it's like today, if it's like this cold, we need to survive."
Grid:
1 Vinales; 2 Dovizioso; 3 Marquez;
4 Miller; 5 Quartararo; 6 Crutchlow;
7 Petrucci; 8 Morbidelli; 9 Nakagami;
10 Rins; 11 Mir; 12 A Espargaro;
13 Bagnaia; 14 Rossi; 15 Lorenzo;
16 P Espargaro; 17 Oliveira; 18 Rabat;
19 Iannone; 20 Abraham; 21 Zarco;
22 Syahrin; 23 Smith.
1 Vinales; 2 Dovizioso; 3 Marquez;
4 Miller; 5 Quartararo; 6 Crutchlow;
7 Petrucci; 8 Morbidelli; 9 Nakagami;
10 Rins; 11 Mir; 12 A Espargaro;
13 Bagnaia; 14 Rossi; 15 Lorenzo;
16 P Espargaro; 17 Oliveira; 18 Rabat;
19 Iannone; 20 Abraham; 21 Zarco;
22 Syahrin; 23 Smith.
This is Vinales' second pole in Qatar but only the first time he topped qualifying here. It was called off in 2017 and he was handed pole then on the basis of practice times.
He converted that pole position into victory - can he do the same tomorrow?
He converted that pole position into victory - can he do the same tomorrow?
Miller takes fourth despite crashing, Quartararo is a brilliant fifth, Crutchlow will take sixth place.
It's pole position for Yamaha and Maverick Vinales, who will be joined by Dovizioso and Marquez on the front row.
Only Marquez looks like he could have the pace to deny Vinales - and he's a tenth and a half slower through the first two sectors.
Dovizioso is up to second, but needs to find another two tenths on Vinales. Quartararo improves to take a provisional fourth.
Looks like Nakagami might give Marquez a tow on this run, although there's a lot of cruising once more.
With just under six minutes left on the clock, Vinales starts his second run early. He desperately doesn't want to be followed by anyone.
First runs look over now, so here's an order rundown:
1 Vinales
2 Nakagami, +0.395s
3 Quartararo, +0.416s
4 Dovizioso, +0.423s
5 Marquez, +0.489s
6 Miller, +0.490s
7 Petrucci, +0.546s
8 Rins, +0.680s
9 Crutchlow, +0.774s
10 Morbidelli, +1.056s
11 A Espargaro, +1.073s
12 Mir, +1.249s.
1 Vinales
2 Nakagami, +0.395s
3 Quartararo, +0.416s
4 Dovizioso, +0.423s
5 Marquez, +0.489s
6 Miller, +0.490s
7 Petrucci, +0.546s
8 Rins, +0.680s
9 Crutchlow, +0.774s
10 Morbidelli, +1.056s
11 A Espargaro, +1.073s
12 Mir, +1.249s.
Vinales' second lap was slower, but a 1m53.929s is still comfortably faster than what anyone else has managed in Q2 so far.
Marquez and Petrucci are now having a proper go, but that was a superb lap from Vinales - not too far from Marquez's Friday record, in conditions that are clearly not as good.
And he rolls out immediately after starting the lap, and so does Marquez - who had a whole number of riders behind him. Lots of cruising going on.
Petrucci is looking over his shoulder as he approaches his first flying lap. He surely has little interest in towing Marquez along.
Maverick Vinales is leaving his opening run late, emerging from the pits almost a full minute after his 11 rivals.
Q2 line-up: Marquez; Vinales; Miller; Petrucci; Quartararo; Dovizioso; Morbidelli; Rins; A Espargaro; Mir; Crutchlow; Nakagami.
Bagnaia and Oliveira won't be joining fellow rookies Quartararo and Mir in Q2, but it's a good MotoGP qualifying debut for both the reigning Moto2 champion and his former main rival regardless.
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