Repsol Honda rider gets the 65th pole position of his career - Crutchlow: “Disappointing not to have the pole”
Marc Marquez demonstrated his superiority over the rest of the field once again with a brilliant pole position for the Australian Grand Prix
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has taken pole position at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, as the new reigning World Champion chose the perfect moment to head out in the changeable conditions on full slick tyres. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) starts from P2 after graduating from Q1, with Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completing the front row
With Q1 seeing some incredibly high profile casualties, it was Cal Crutchlow and Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) who moved through to fight for the front, leaving Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) behind – with Rossi in P15 on the grid in his worst qualifying since 2011.
The track was drying in Q1, and drier by the start of Q2. With rain forecast to hit half way through the second qualifying session however, the pressure was on to do a good lap – and choose the right tyre. With some heading out on intermediates, Marquez, Miller and Petrucci then came back in quickly to swutch to slicks – with Marquez untouchable from that point on, and 1.5 seconds clear a few minutes later until the grid began to reel him closer.
Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) shone in the session to challenge for the front row – just beaten over the line by his brother, Pol – and will start fourth, ahead of Aussie Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) at his home race, who completed the top five in his best ever qualifying result. Locking out Row 2 is Octo Pramac Yakhnich rider Danilo Petrucci.
Nicky Hayden, riding in place of injured Dani Pedrosa at Repsol Honda, took an impressive P7 on his return to MotoGP™, ahead of Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Stefan Bradl – who is also set to become Hayden’s teammate in 2017 at Honda World Superbike Team. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) is ninth to complete the third row, finding going a little tougher as the track dried. His teammate, Hector Barbera – standing in for injured Andrea Iannone – completed the top ten.
Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) will start from eleventh, ahead of 5-time World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who struggled in Q2 after having graduated from Q1.
MotoGP hope for better weather for Sunday as race day looms, with lights out later in the day at 16:00 local time (GMT+11) - with the big hitters spread throughout the field, the 2016 Australian GP is sure to be another classic.
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time Gap 1st/Prev.
1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 324.8 1'30.189 2 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR LCR Honda Honda 326.8 1'30.981 0.792 / 0.7923 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 326.0 1'31.107 0.918 / 0.1264 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki 321.3 1'31.673 1.484 / 0.5665 43 Jack MILLER AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 325.3 1'31.754 1.565 / 0.0816 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA OCTO Pramac Yakhnich Ducati 321.8 1'32.420 2.231 / 0.6667 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team Honda 318.6 1'32.944 2.755 / 0.5248 6 Stefan BRADL GER Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 319.5 1'33.015 2.826 / 0.0719 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 330.3 1'33.090 2.901 / 0.07510 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Ducati Team Ducati 332.7 1'33.914 3.725 / 0.82411 45 Scott REDDING GBR OCTO Pramac Yakhnich Ducati 322.0 1'34.682 4.493 / 0.76812 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 320.1 1'36.840 6.651 / 2.158
Weather Conditions:
Track Condition: Dry| Air: 12º| Humidity: 73%| Ground: 19ºRecords:
Fastest Lap: Lap: 7 Marc MARQUEZ 1'30.189 177.5 Km/hCircuit Record Lap: 2013 Marc MARQUEZ 1'28.108 181.7 Km/hBest Lap: 2013 Jorge LORENZO 1'27.899 182.1 Km/h
