News 6 May 2018

Record-breaking Crutchlow scores MotoGP pole in Spain

Pramac Racing's Miller to start from 12th on the grid at Jerez.

Image: Supplied.

Britain Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) smashed the previous pole lap record at the newly-resurfaced Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, taking pole position for the first time since the 2016 British GP at Silverstone.

Fellow Honda rider Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) – the winner at Jerez in 2017 – put in another stunner to take second despite his ongoing recovery from a broken wrist sustained in Argentina.

It was Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in third to make it eight times in a row the Frenchman will be starting the race from the front row, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) fourth and reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lining up fifth.

It was a tense final shootout at the end of the session, and many eyes were on Marquez as the number 93 pushed and consistently lit up the first sectors red and then just lost out before the line.

Unable to improve on his initial fast lap, he was pushed off the front row and then down to fifth as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) – the previous pole lap record holder – lit it up to take fourth and head up row two at the venue at which he took his first podium for Ducati.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and teammate Andrea Iannone, after topping FP4 in reverse order, line up sixth and seventh respectively, with the Hamamatsu factory a threat for the front throughout.

Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) lines up eighth after he was left heading through – and going fastest in – Q1, but the gap was small once again, with the Italian only 0.042s off his compatriot ahead of him. Fellow Italian on Borgo Panigale machinery Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) completes the third row.

It was a more difficult day for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, however. Valentino Rossi will line up 10th after just edging out his teammate by 0.014s, with Maverick Vinales therefore lining up P11. Vinales, along with Dovizioso, was a graduate of Q1. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) lines up 12th.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) sealed his first ever-world championship pole position in Moto2, setting a new pole lap record to lead 2017 winner Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46).

In Moto3, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) grabbed his 11th-career pole position on Saturday, with Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) in second and Martin’s fellow Del Conca Gresini rider Fabio Di Giannantonio jumped up to third on his final run.

Detailed results

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