News 19 Apr 2015

Marquez blitzes rivals on way to Argentine pole

Miller to start out of 19th after struggling with rear grip.

Source: MotoGP.

Source: MotoGP.

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez stamped his authority on proceedings in Q2 to claim pole ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Iannone.

After the excitement during Qualifying in Austin, there was a sense of anticipation in the air as riders took to the 4.8 km Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.

Conditions had improved from Friday, with the sun coming out in force and the track temperature rising to 43 degrees in time for MotoGP Q2.

Earlier it was Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith and Hector Barbera on the Avintia Racing Ducati that made it through from a hotly contested Q1, in a session that saw Smith’s teammate Pol Espargaro and the satellite Pramac Racing machine of Yonny Hernandez fail to progress.

As we got to the business end of the session riders headed out on fresh rubber to set a flying lap, and it was Marquez who laid down a marker to the rest of the field with just over five minutes to go.

Marquez improved on this time as the session drew to an end to finish with a 1m37.802s as none of the other riders had a response to the Spaniard’s pace.

The Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR of Aleix Espargaro (+0.514s) finished in 2nd, continuing an excellent weekend for the returning manufacturer.

The fast and flowing Termas de Rio Hondo circuit plays to the strengths of the chassis of the Suzuki, with the absence of a long straight allowing Espargaro to be quick despite the bikes lack of straight-line speed.

Andrea Iannone (+0.665s) completed the front row on the Ducati Team GP15 as he, like Espargaro, took advantage of the softer tyre option available to both teams to set a flying lap.

CWM LCR Hondas Cal Crutchlow (+0.683s) will start from the front of the second row ahead of Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo (+0.683s), who matched the British riders time in fifth and the second Ducati Team GP15 of Andrea Dovizioso (+0.718s).

Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci will start from 7th on the grid, with Valentino Rossi over a second off the pace of Marquez in eighth.

Maverick Viñales completes the third row in ninth, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith rounding out the top 10.

Hector Barbera leads the Open class in 12th, just behind the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Racing Honda of Scott Redding.

Jack Miller will start from 21st position on the grid after he struggled to find grip with his rear tyre during the qualifying session.

Ajo Motorsports Johann Zarco claimed his first pole position of 2015 to finish ahead of Tito Rabat and Thomas Luthi.

It took until the final minute of the session for riders to improve on the record breaking pace of FP3, with Frenchman Johann Zarco setting a new lap record on his very last lap to secure his first pole of the season with a 1m42.809s on the Ajo Motorsport Kalex.

Reigning Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat (+0.293s) will start from 2nd after a last gasp lap promoted him to the front row, ahead of Derendinger Racing Interwetten’s Thomas Luthi who surprised a number of people to end the session in third.

Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes missed out on the front row for the first time this season, and will start from fourth ahead of the current championship leader Alex Rins on the Paginas Amarillas HP40 bike and AGR Team’s Jonas Folger.

At 1.261s off the pole position time, Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team) will start from 19th on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Miguel Oliveira beat Danny Kent’s lap record from FP3 to grab a last-gasp pole at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in Argentina.

Leopard Racing’s Kent had dominated practice over the last two days, and once more led the way throughout most of the session, before being pipped to pole in the dying seconds by KTM Red Bull Ajo’s Oliveira.

The Portuguese rider, who has failed to finish a grand prix this season, delivered on the potential he had shown in the last two races to take only his second career pole and first since 2013.

Kent was just five-hundredths of a second back in second place, ahead of the Italian Niccolo Antonelli (+0.204s) on the Ongetta-Rivacold Honda in third.

Starting from the second row will be Kent’s teammate Efren Vazquez (+0.268s) in fourth, the Husqvarna Factory Laglisse of Isaac Viñales (+0.422s) and the pole-sitter’s teammate Karel Hanika in sixth.

CIP Mahindra rider Remy Gardner will start out of 27th place after logging a 1m50.088s lap time during the qualifying session.

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