News 21 May 2017

Viñales leads Yamaha front row sweep at Le Mans

Miller secures P11 on the grid despite mammoth qualifying crash.

Source: Supplied.

Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took another impressive pole position at Le Mans on Saturday, topping the time-sheets from teammate Valentino Rossi.

And alongside them, home hero Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took his first ever front row start in an electric atmosphere at the Bugatti circuit.

It was a last lap dash for Zarco after also proving a superstar in Q1, the Frenchman getting his head down and into the zone as the factory Yamaha pairing pushed at the front. Seemingly forced to settle for row two, the double Moto2 champion lit up the time-sheets on his final lap to take back the front row.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was the man just pushed back by Zarco’s last lap and starts fourth, ahead of reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after a more difficult day for the number 93. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – fastest in Q1 from Zarco – completes the second row.

Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing) starts seventh despite a crash, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) giving the Austrian factory their best ever qualifying to date in P8 – an awesome achievement in their first season, and with teammate Bradley Smith also in the Q2 shootout and lining up in 10th.

Splitting the two ‘Bulls’ was Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) in a solid showing for the Czech rider, with Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) completing the top 12. Miller crashed spectacularly, but fortunately was unscathed in the incident.

After rain affected sessions throughout the weekend, some big names find themselves falling foul of the fight to get through Q1, with Jerez winner Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) in 13th, ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) to lock out the fastest 15.

Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) took a record-breaking pole position in Moto2, taking a good portion of time off his 2016 pole record, 12 years after the number 12 took his first pole at Le Mans.

Rookie sensation Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) took his first-ever front row the race weekend after his first intermediate class podium in P2, with championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) locking out the top three. Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) starts 23rd.

In Moto3, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) will start the French GP from pole position after some spots of rain in the qualifying session left the field on a rush to be the last over the line as it dried out, making it the third pole in five races for the Spaniard.

Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) had crossed the line with a slightly faster time, but had the lap-time cancelled due to exceeding track limits at turn eight, consequently starting from P2. Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team) completes the front row.

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