News 20 May 2018

Zarco secures pole with blistering time in Le Mans MotoGP qualifying

Australia's Miller to start from P7 in the French grand prix.

Source: Supplied.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) stormed to a history-making pole position at the fifth round of the 2018 MotoGP World Championship, smashing the pole record to become the first Frenchman to secure pole on home soil since Christian Sarron at Paul Ricard in 1988.

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez threatened to spoil the party on his final lap as the reigning champion honed in, but it wasn’t enough and the world championship leader starts P2. Q1 graduate Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), meanwhile, made his presence felt in Q2 and will start tomorrow’s race third on the grid.

It was an incredibly tense Q2 session in Le Mans, with all eyes on the number five. The Frenchman, straight out the blocks, didn’t disappoint and topped the timesheets after his first flying lap. But Marquez – as ever – was quick to reply. The reigning World Champion wasn’t at the summit for long though, as Petrucci put in his fastest lap of the weekend go provisional P1.

Zarco though had other ideas, and on the final lap of his first run, the Frenchman sent a warning sign, going 0.330 seconds quicker than anyone else.

When the riders came back out for their second runs, Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) briefly led the session but Marquez then reset the benchmark, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also leaping up the timesheets and taking second. However, the home hero wasn’t done, again going quickest, this time by 0.130. As all looked set and done, Marquez’ efforts on his final lap sent French nerves into overdrive but Zarco held on,

Behind the explosive front row, Andrea Iannone starts from P4 on his Suzuki and was less than a tenth off the front row – another name sure to add fireworks to the fight at the front. The Italian heads the two factory Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso, who’ll start fifth, and Lorenzo in sixth – both of whom look to have very strong race pace.

Australian Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was impressive once again in P7 and in the mix throughout the session, making it four Ducatis in the top seven on a track the manufacturer has never won at.

A team who have enjoyed winning at Le Mans recently are Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, however, but Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi will have work to do from P8 and P9 on the grid respectively – over half a second behind fellow Yamaha rider Zarco.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who came through Q1, will start from tenth on Sunday – but the ‘Little Samurai’ is a previous winner at the track, and came through from outside the top ten to take the podium last season.

He was just ahead of Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing), who was a slender 0.025 behind his compatriot, and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro. The number 41 crashed at Turn 1 on his opening run but was ok and ran back to the pits.

Franceso Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) will start tomorrow’s France grand prix from pole for the first time in his Moto2 career, setting a new pole lap record along the way. Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP), who crashed on his final run, will start second on the grid, 0.202 behind, with Jerez winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) earning his fourth front row start of the year in P3.

Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Estrella Galicia) secured P4 on his final run, the rookie interchanged positions with teammate Alex Marquez at the end of the session – the latter will start from sixth. Marcel Schroetter (Dynavolt Intact GP) continued his fantastic weekend and jumped up to fifth position towards the end, splitting the Marc VDS riders before crashing.

For the third time in 2018, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) will start the Moto3 race from pole position after putting in a magnificent final run to take top spot in France. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrustelGP) continued his great weekend, leaping up the timesheets at the end of the session to start from P2 on his 150th Grand Prix start.

After a heavy fall at the start of the session, Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) then put in a valiant effort to start from third in Sunday’s race and complete the front row – just 0.001s off Kornfeil.

Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) took P4 and heads the second row of the grid, with Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3), another crasher early on, coming back out strongly to take P5.

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