Czech Republic MotoGP qualifying

16:37 Marquez takes stunning Brno pole by 2.5 seconds

Brno MotoGP: Marquez takes stunning pole in drying Czech GP qualifying

Honda MotoGP rider Marc Marquez secured pole position for Sunday's Czech Grand Prix by 2.5 seconds at a drying Brno circuit after a controversial run-in with Alex Rins

16:16

15:59 Earth is 4.5 billion years old, and we got to exist in a time to see Marc Marquez put in that lap for pole position. We are pretty lucky.

15:55 That has tied Marquez with Mick Doohan for most premier class poles with 58.

15:53 Dovizioso was fourth in that session, with Espargaro, Rins, Rossi, Petrucci, Vinales, Quartararo, Crutchlow and Morbidelli completing the top 12.

15:52 Marquez takes pole from Miller despite that crash, while Johann Zarco bags KTM's first MotoGP front row start with third.

15:52 Miller has crashed at Turn 14, on the slicks where the rain is heaviest.

15:51 Marquez is on pole at Brno! It's a 2m02.723s.

15:51 Chequered flag is out,

15:50 Marquez is on another quick one.

15:50 The rain is coming down harder now. Marquez has timed this to absolute perfection. Miller goes second on slicks.

15:49 Marquez takes pole with a 2m04.165s on slick tyres!

15:48 Marquez is almost a second up in sector 2!

15:48 Marquez is up in sector one, but there are spits of rain now.

15:48 Dovizioso up to second. Zarco holds provisional pole with just over two minutes to go.

15:47 Marquez was 2.4s down after his first slick lap.

15:47 Dovizioso is also not on slicks, and is only 0.103s down after sector one. He's fastest in sector 2.

15:46 Marquez is 1.2s down in sector one. Vinales is going out on a slick.

15:45 Yamaha haven't put a slick on Rossi's bike. He's back out on a rain tyre.

15:45 Everyone else is heading out now on slicks. But there is rain in the air.

15:44 Rins and Miller are now out on slicks.

15:42 Marquez is going out on a soft slick rear.

15:42 Marquez returns the favour to Rins at the penultimate turn as they dive into pitlane, and now they are nudging each other in the pits!

15:41 Close between Rins and Marquez there at Turn 6. Marquez is only seventh currently.

15:41 Not surprising to see the KTM's so fast straight away. They know what the track is like.

15:40 Miller betters it straight away, followed by Espargaro, before Zarco batters them with a 2m05.351s.

15:40 Vinales sets the pace with a 2m06.626s.

15:37 Interestingly, Dovizioso, Rossi and Quartararo have gone out on soft wet rears. It was the medium tyres which won the day on Q1 in these half and half conditions.

15:35 Q2 is GO!

15:35 I'm afraid to say, the fight for pole could be a little one-sided. Marquez is stunning in these kind of changeable conditions. Expect him and Miller to be the first ones to venture out on slicks.

15:32 Just going back to Zarco, whatever happens now, he will register his best qualifying result of the 2019 season. His previous best is a 14th, which came at Le Mans.

15:31 So, it's Zarco and Espargaro advancing to Q2. They will join:
Quartararo
Marquez
Vinales
Dovizioso
Petrucci
Rossi
Miller
Crutchlow
Morbidelli
Rins

15:30 Round of applause from Suzuki as Guintoli returns to pitlane. Richly deserved, as that was a fine performance by the test rider in just his second appearance of the season.

15:28 Nakagami misses out in the end and will start 13th. Bagnaia, Guintoli, Oliveira, Bradl, A.Espargaro, Mir, Abraham, Syahrin, Rabat and Iannone follow.

15:27 Zarco goes fastest with a 2m05.033s. He is into Q2 for the first time this season, and will be joined by team-mate Espargaro.

15:26 Bagnaia third, just misses out by 0.020s.

15:26 P.Espargaro goes top with a 2m05.053s, Nakagami second.

15:24 Guintoli just misses out in the end in fourth. He'll get one more go at this.

15:23 Zarco back up to second with a 2m05.481s. He's rolled out of this lap, but he'll not want to come back in as track conditions are improving all the time. It'll be a case of last across the line has the best chance of improving I suspect.

15:22 Bagnaia goes second with just under four minutes to go.