Source: MotoGP.

Marc Marquez has decimated the Le Mans lap record in MotoGP qualifying for the French Grand Prix, with the defending world champion dipping beneath the existing benchmark by a significant 0.605s margin.

The Spanish rider has controlled proceedings since free practice and was the clear favourite to claim pole position.

Repsol Honda’s frontman was untouchable, emerging from the pits on his second outing to bank a 1m32.042 flyer.

The effort trumped teammate Dani Pedrosa’s standing lap record from 2008 and would prove to be an intimidating 0.692s quicker than Pol Esparagaro, a surprise second-fastest.

The result is a breakthrough effort for Moto2 World Champion Espargaro, marking his first front row start in his rookie outing with Monster Tech3 Yamaha.

Espargaro described his feat as a small yet significant victory, but admitted he remained realistic about a maiden podium on race day.

Andrea Dovizioso claimed the final front row spot for Ducati Team, taking the brand’s first top three start in 2014 with a 1m32.755 lap.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl will lead the second row away after a solid showing in Q2, outpacing the Movistar Yamaha M1s of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo who took fifth and sixth respectively.

Rossi was pleased with the recovery after what he described as a disastrous showing on Friday, while Lorenzo is quietly confident of his chances despite not being able to show his true speed in qualifying.

Alvaro Bautista claimed seventh place for Gresini Honda, battling closely with Forward Racing Yamaha’s Aleix Espargaro and Repsol Honda’s Pedrosa who finished line of stern in eighth and ninth.

Bradley Smith completes the top 10, the Tech3 rider to be joined on row four by the Ducatis of Andrea Iannone and the injury-hobbled Cal Crutchlow.

Aussie Broc Parkes made in-roads in qualifying after a day of problems plagued track activity on Friday.

The Paul Bird Motorsport rider will start out of grid position 22 and is expecting a tough race on Sunday due to the circuit’s physical nature.

AGR Team’s Jonas Folger claimed pole in the Moto2 class, a first for the German who is tackling his rookie season in the intermediate ranks.

Folger’s 1m37.619 lap denied Marc VDS Racing’s Esteve Rabat of top spot by an agonising 0.004 seconds, with fellow Spaniard Luis Salom just 0.112 seconds in arrears in third.

Row two is comprised of Mika Kallio, Thom Luthi and Simone Corsi, with the latter’s lap just 0.190 seconds off Folger’s benchmark.

Maverick Vinales, Ricard Cardus and Sandro Cortese will start from row three, with Sam Lowes completing the top 10.

Anthony West was 1.636 seconds off the pace for the QMMF Racing Team, with the Aussie again tasked with picking off at least 12 places if he is to continue his run of points-paying finishes.

Moto3 qualifying was led by Efren Vazquez, with the Spanish rider denying Aussie Jack Miller of pole position by just 0.025 seconds.

Red Bull KTM’s Miller is eager to challenge for the race win from the front row after a tough showing in Jerez.

Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins made it two Hondas in the top three with a good lap late in the piece.

Three different manufacturers occupy row two, with Honda’s Alexis Masbou, Husqvarna’s Niklas Ajo and KTM’s Isaac Vinales placing fourth through sixth respectively.

Alex Marquez, John McPhee and Zulfahmi Khairuddin made it an all-Honda third row, with previous winner Romano Fenati rounding out the top 10 on his VR46 KTM.

Despite solid gains throughout the day, Arthur Sissis was pushed back to position 27 on his Mahindra Racing machine, 1.927 seconds off the pace of the pole setter.

2014 MotoGP World Championship
Round five – Le Mans, France

MotoGP qualifying results:
1. Marc MARQUEZ 1m32.042
2. Pol ESPARGARO 1m32.734
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO 1m32.755
4. Stefan BRADL 1m32.846
5. Valentino ROSSI 1m32.873
6. Jorge LORENZO 1m32.899
7. Alvaro BAUTISTA 1m33.006
8. Aleix ESPARGARO 1m33.015
9. Dani PEDROSA 1m33.023
10. Bradley SMITH 1m33.058
22. Broc PARKES (AUS) 1m35.795

Moto2 qualifying results:
1. Jonas FOLGER 1m37.619
2. Esteve RABAT 1m37.623
3. Luis SALOM 1m37.731
4. Mika KALLIO 1m37.768
5. Thomas LUTHI 1m37.773
6. Simone CORSI 1m37.809
7. Maverick VIÑALES 1m37.884
8. Ricard CARDUS 1m37.929
9. Sandro CORTESE 1m37.963
10. Sam LOWES 1m38.032
27. Anthony WEST (AUS) 1m39.255

Moto3 qualifying results:
1. Efren VAZQUEZ 1m42.491
2. Jack MILLER (AUS) 1m42.516
3. Alex RINS 1m42.718
4. Alexis MASBOU 1m42.752
5. Niklas AJO 1m42.769
6. Isaac VIÑALES 1m42.815
7. Alex MARQUEZ 1m42.896
8. John MCPHEE 1m42.936
9. Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN 1m42.991
10. Romano FENATI 1m43.068
27. Arthur SISSIS (AUS) 1m44.418

Click here for detailed results