Image: Supplied.

Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez secured an 80th career pole position after he mastered the wet Q2 conditions at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Marquez was in superior form at Sepang to set a quickest lap of 2m12.161s, beating Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) by over half a second, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) third.

It was Marquez who led the field over the line and it was he who set the first benchmark, edging out Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), who was just behind the Spaniard on track, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also within a tenth after the first lap – 0.051s splitting the top three.

With a banker lap under his belt, Marquez then slammed in a rapid second lap to considerably shift the goal posts. A 2m12.161s was a full 1.264 quicker than Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) as the world champion put daylight between himself and his rivals.

However, the Repsol Honda rider then lost the front at turn four and, unlike he’s been able to do several times already this weekend, there was no saving this one. Down he went after setting a new session best first sector, but he was back up and in the pits with over three minutes still remaining.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) shot up to P2, but he was still over a second off and then on his final flying lap, the Italian crashed at turn nine. Iannone – following Dovi on track – had gone provisional P2, but the gap was still 0.936s.

A flying Frenchman then propelled himself into second, Zarco cutting the gap to eight tenths, with fellow YZR-M1 rider Rossi then leap-frogging him into second.

In the end, no one could come close to matching Marquez and despite Zarco putting in a personal best lap to re-take second from ‘The Doctor’, the gap between the number 93 and his rivals was still 0.548s. Zarco and Rossi join the seven-time champion on the front row.

His late crash meant Dovi had to settle for fifth in Q2, with fellow Desmosedici rider Miller ending the session sixth after setting his best lap on his final lap. Behind the Australian was teammate Petrucci, with both Alma Pramac Racing riders slipping down the order after sitting on the provisional front row.

Friday’s quickest rider Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will launch from eighth, just ahead of Q1 graduate Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) in P9. Winner at Sepang in the wet conditions in 2012, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) qualified in 10th, just ahead of practice’s fastest man Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).

Marquez reigns in the wet, but with an updated Sunday Time Schedule, the chances of the race being dry have increased. What will the weather bring for the race? Who knows, this is Malaysia after all. But either way it’s set to be a belting battle.

Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) stormed to Moto2 pole position, setting the only 2m05s time in qualifying to better closest challenger Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) by 0.488s.

A 2m05.629s was the lap of Marquez, with Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) completing the front row of the grid. Seven-tenths outside of pole, Remy Gardner’s (Tech3 Racing) run of form continues in fourth.

Moto3 championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took pole for the 11th time in 2018 after setting a new lightweight class qualifying lap record of 2m11.731s.

The Spaniard heads main title rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) by 0.032s, with Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) continuing his strong weekend to take P3 on the grid.

Detailed results