Record breaker Álex Márquez storms to maiden Moto2 pole

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Álex Márquez produced a breathtaking record lap of the 4.4km Jerez circuit in Spain to claim his first pole position in the Moto2 World Championship.

Confidence was sky high that the 21-year-old could clinch his first Moto2 pole position in front of a massive sun-drenched crowd when he completed his domination of practice by heading this morning’s FP3.

That confidence was well placed as Márquez made a spectacular start to the 45-minute qualifying session, with his third lap a stunning 1’42.080 putting him top of the timesheets with a pace that wasn’t to be bettered for the remainder of the session.

That breathless lap of 1’42.080 smashed the outright lap record set by Sam Lowes in last season’s qualifying by close to 0.4s and secured Márquez his fourth career pole position and first since the 2014 Australian Moto3 round at Phillip Island.

Closest challenger to Márquez was his Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS colleague Franco Morbidelli. Today’s 1-2 from Márquez and Morbidelli continued their incredible qualifying record in 2017, as both have not yet started a race so far this season off the front row of the grid.

Álex Márquez: 1st – 1’42.080:

“I am really happy to take my first pole position in Moto2 and to do it in front of my home crowd with a record lap makes it feel that little bit extra special. But we must keep our feet firmly on the ground because the race is tomorrow and that is the most important part. I was always confident I could get pole after being so strong in practice and I was happy to go out and deliver when it counted. I’ve been fast in all conditions this weekend and I am now really looking forward to the race. It will be tough to manage the bike and the tyres in the heat but I feel prepared and ready to fight at the front.”

Source – Marc VDS Racing