Gran Premio Red Bull de España, Jerez: Qualifying roundup – MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3

 In MotoGP, News

MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) took an incredible pole position in qualifying for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, taking to the top in the final minutes of the session and teammate Marc Marquez unable to depose him on his last lap. Pedrosa was fastest on Friday and on Saturday in FP3, and is on the charge at his first home race of the year – where he is already a multiple winner. Behind Marquez is Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), completing the front row in a Honda 1-2-3.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales took fourth to head up the second row ahead of Q1 graduate and comeback king Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in sixth.

Fourteen world titles start the Spanish GP from the third row, with Championship leader Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in seventh just ahead of Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo only 0.002 back. Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) is ninth in another solid showing for the German rookie.

Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) backed up his Friday pace with direct entry to Q2 and a top ten start despite a crash, with Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing) in eleventh and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in P12.

Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) starts P13 from Q1, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and a stunning display from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro to complete the top fifteen, just ahead of teammate Bradley Smith.

The lights go out for the incredible Spanish GP at Jerez on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +2) – with Pedrosa on pole for the first time since Sepang 2015.

Moto2

2014 Moto3™ World Champion Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) will start his home GP at Jerez from his first ever pole position with a new record, leading teammate and Championship leader by Franco Morbidelli by 0.046 to make it a clean sweep as fastest in every session so far. The rider from Cervera also suffered some contact ahead of his final lap in the session, with Tech 3 Racing’s Remy Gardner clipping the Spaniard’s rear wheel and giving him a flat tyre. Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) took a stunning front row for Suter in P3, getting back at the front in Moto2™ after solid pace all weekend and a top five in the race last time out.

Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was impressive once again to head up the second row, with veteran Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) in fifth and compatriot Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) taking P6 as top rookie.

Xavi Vierge continues his stunning form on the Tech 3 Racing machine in P7, ahead of Championship contender Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia). Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) took ninth despite a crash, with Axel Pons (RW Racing GP) another crasher but completing the top ten.

Luca Marini (Forward Racing Team) lines up in P11, ahead of a tough session for Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) as the Swiss veteran aims to move forward. Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Pons HP 40) and Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) lock out the fastest fifteen.

Marquez aims for his first Moto2™ win at 12:20 local time (GMT +2) in front of his home crowd.

Moto3

Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) broke Jack Miller’s record from 2014 in qualifying for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, setting a 1:46.004 on his penultimate run on clear track to top the timesheets by over four tenths. Compatriot Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) lines up in P2, with Texas winner Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) completing the front row.

Last year’s polesitter Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) heads up the second row in fourth, ahead of a career best for Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate) in fifth. Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo) locks out Row 2.

Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was another putting in a best ever as he starts in seventh, ahead of Sky Racing Team VR46’s Andrea Migno. Championship leader Joan Mir had crossed the line to take an initial P4 for Leopard Racing, but then had that laptime cancelled for exceeding track limits and will instead start in ninth on the third row.

Darryn Binder (Platinum Bay Real Estate) impressed in P10, ahead of some more established names: Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team) in P11 and P12.

After a tougher start to the season, Jerez has looked sunnier for Mahindra and qualifying proved no different, as Albert Arenas (Mahindra Northgate Aspar) put in a solid lap to start P13 in his home race, ahead of Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and top rookie Ayumu Sasaki (SIC Racing Team) completing the top fifteen.

Philipp Oettl was one crasher in the session, and the Südmetall Schedl GP Racing unfortunately suffered a broken collarbone – therefore forced to sit out the rest of the weekend.

Racing starts at 11:00 (GMT +2) in the Spanish GP on Sunday, with Moto3™ out first.

Source: motogp.com

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