Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) won a stunning three-way fight for supremacy in qualifying at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the Frenchman coming out on top to beat Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to the first pole of the year. Quartararo left it late to depose Viñales, with Marquez then saying he played the risk vs reward game on his final lap... but did he?
Marquez was the first man to attack the 55-degree track temperature, but his opening lap was marred by running wide at the Dani Pedrosa corner. Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), though, made no mistake on his first flyer, the Italian going provisional P1 before Quartararo slammed in a 1:37.064. Spurred on by his opening lap mistake, the number 93 of Marquez wasn’t hanging about on his second lap and then snatched P1 from Quartararo with a 1:37.006. The Frenchman bit back immediately with the first sub 1:37 lap of Q2 though – a 1:36.993.
Jerez then fell silent as the MotoGP™ riders pitted for fresh tyres, tension and anticipation peaking ahead of the final five minutes of the first premier class qualifying session of 2020. We’ve missed the rumble of the MotoGP™ thoroughbred machines rolling out of pitlane, but we’ve missed the intense battle for pole position even more – and that’s exactly what we go at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
Out before his rivals on run number two, Marquez was on song and posted a 1:36.877 to depose Quartararo from P1 as the duo duelled for pole. Another Yamaha was looking deadly too – Viñales – and despite being nearly two tenths shy of Marquez’ time coming into the last split, the number 12 had a mega final sector and demoted Marquez to take over in provisional pole. There were two men left: Quartararo was setting red splits on his final run, and so was Bagnaia.
In the meantime, there was fast crashes for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – the fastest man in Q1 – at Turn 11, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) also going down at Turn 2 to add some more drama. Sadly, the crash resulted in injury for Rins and he's now unfit for the weekend with a dislocated shoulder.
Back on track, Bagnaia took the chequered flag in P4 to improve his time but not position, nevertheless stunning on his run, before Quartararo showed he was the king of qualifying in Jerez for the second year in a row. ‘El Diablo’ was 0.194 under through the third split and pretty much held it to the line to lay down the gauntlet, taking the maiden MotoGP™ pole position of 2020. Viñales made it a Yamaha 1-2 – just as it was last year – ahead of Marquez.
Bagnaia continued his good weekend form into Saturday afternoon to earn his best-ever MotoGP™ qualifying result in P4, and the Italian will start one place ahead of teammate Miller after the Australians crashed on a provisional pole lap. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) starts P6.
After graduating from Q1, Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) takes P7 on the grid as the leading KTM rider – the Spaniard finishing 0.788 from pole – and Dovizioso had to settle for P8 after his lowside at Turn 2. Rins qualified ninth but will miss the race, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir therefore moving up a place.
What a battle in the opening MotoGP™ Q2 of the season. Quartararo vs Viñales vs Marc Marquez off the front row is going to be a fascinating start to the race on Sunday afternoon too, with the leading Ducatis of Bagnaia and Miller eyeing up the holeshot from 4th and 5th. It’s all set up to be a stunner, and you can watch it all unfold on Sunday at 14:00 local time (GMT+2)!
MotoGP™ front row
1 Fabio Quartararo - Petronas Yamaha SRT - Yamaha - 1:36.705
2 Maverick Viñales - Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP - Yamaha - +0.139
3 Marc Marquez - Repsol Honda Team - Honda - +0.157
Fabio Quartararo: "It was just switching off your mind on the last lap! I didn't feel that was the perfect lap, I made a mistake, someone crashed at 11 so I was more careful. When I saw 36.7 I knew it was a good lap, but here we don't have screens on the track so I didn't know if I was first or second, but when I saw the guys outside the garages I knew I was on pole. We've worked well in FP4, the pace is good. Marc has unbelievable pace and tomorrow morning we'll try to make something more, but we're ready to fight."
Martin secures maiden Moto2™ poleThe Spaniard proves untouchable, ahead of Navarro and a return to the front row for Lowes
Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stole the show in Moto2™ qualifying at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the Spaniard setting a 1:47.384 on his second flying lap to eventually beat Jorge Navarro (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) to pole position by 0.181 seconds. On his return from injury, Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) claims P3 and a front row start in Jerez - a venue the Brit has ruled before.
Martin was straight out in Q2 to almost immediately got down to the low 1:41s, with that eventual pole position time coming on only his second flying lap. It wasn’t such a good start for Q1 graduate Fabio Di Giannantonio (HDR Heidrun Speed Up), however, as the Italian tucked the front at Turn 2, with his bike then catching fire in the gravel. Fellow Q1 graduates Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Hafizh Syahrin (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) and Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) soldiered on.
Meanwhile at the top, Martin stood firm, with Lowes able to slot into second but still a number of tenths in arrears. The Sky Racing Team VR46 bikes of Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi were working in tandem to try and reel in Martin’s advantage too, but despite the duo continually slamming in personal bests, that three-tenth gap couldn’t be eaten into. It looked like Martin’s time was safe with the temperatures rising all the time, but Navarro was then looking good on a personal best. The polesitter from 2019 couldn’t quite repeat his feat in 2020, but he did displace Lowes from P2 to go 0.181 off Martin and split the two men at the top.
Lowes improved his time although his position remained the same, and P3 for the number 22 is a great way to kick off his 2020 campaign after missing the Qatar GP. Can he challenge for the win on Sunday? And speaking of, the Sky VR46 duo have looked stellar all weekend. Friday pacesetter Marini will lead teammate Bezzecchi off the line in P4 and P5, with rookie Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) sitting just behind the two Italians on Row 2 after he moved up the timesheets on Saturday.
Jerez lap record holder Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) couldn’t repeat his form from FP3 and will launch from the front the third row, although the German rider was just 0.019 off the second. Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo), meanwhile, finished half a second off teammate Martin and will aim to keep his advantage in the overall standings from P8. Vierge came through Q1 to take ninth, just ahead of 2018 and 2019 Spanish GP race winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40), who rounds out the top ten. Can the Italian repeat his feat from the previous two years?
Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), Edgar Pons (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40) and Syahrin round out the top fifteen on the grid.
Moto2™ front row1 Jorge Martin - Red Bull KTM Ajo - Kalex 1'41.3842 Jorge Navarro - HDR Heidrun Speed Up - Speed Up +0.1813 Sam Lowes - EG 0,0 Marc VDS - Kalex - +0.300
Jorge Martin: "This is another step in my career! I've been waiting for this moment for a year and a half. Today I didn't think it was my day because in the warm temperatures yesterday it was difficult, but we did an incredible job and the team worked so well, with such a stable bike and lots of confidence in the front. I'm really happy and I think tomorrow in the cooler temperatures I will be faster and hopefully i I can battle for the race."
Suzuki smashes lap record for second 2020 poleFour months later, the Japanese rider once again gears up to begin the Moto3™ race from pole
SIC58 Squadra Corse's Tatsuki Suzuki secured back-to-back pole positions in the Moto3™ class after obliterating the outright lap record at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España on Saturday. With a minute remaining and with clear track ahead, the Japanese star put his head down and grabbed his second pole of 2020, four months after his first at the Grand Prix of Qatar. Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) put in a last minute dash to take second, with John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) taking third after he tagged on to Suzuki on the polesitter's last lap. The Scot has had pace all weekend, however.
The scorching sun in Jerez didn't deter the Moto3™ field from lighting up the timesheets, and in Q1 it was Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) heading the field for Husqvarna, the Italian moving through to Q2 alongside Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia). Then it was time to reset again and get ready to fight it out for the first pole since March. Ultimately that would see Suzuki break the lap record, but the timesheets tight behind the Japanese rider - just as we like it.
Fronting Row 2 of the grid is Red Bull KTM Ajo's Raul Fernandez who, despite seemingly complaining of front-end feel halfway through Q2, found some pace to go fourth and back up his impressive form in the weekend so far. He'll be joined on the second row by Migno's Sky Racing Team VR46 teammate Celestino Vietti and Kömmerling Gresini Moto3 rookie Jeremy Alcoba, who put in a sensational performance to turn the tables on experienced teammate Gabriel Rodrigo, who topped the timesheets on Friday.
Moto3™ World Championship leader Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) will try to defend his five point lead from seventh on the grid, with veteran Romano Fenati making good on his Q1 promise and taking P8. Free Practice pacesetter Gabriel Rodrigo will start ninth but could be one to watch after his speed on Friday, with Tony Arbolino completing the top ten after an improved session for the Italian after he had been forced to head through Q1.
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) was P11 and ahead of 2019 winner Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), with Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) - Qatar podium finisher - rounding out the fastest fifteen.
Valencia 2019 winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0), meanwhile, could be one to watch. He starts last after a difficult session and having mis-timed his second run, and he'll be trying to slice through the pack. No one has won from pole in Moto3™ at Jerez, but someone has won from the back as Brad Binder destroyed the field in 2016!
All that remains now is to race, with Moto3™ sure to put on an incredible show at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto. Tune in from 11:00 (GMT +2) for their return to competition.
Moto3™ front row
1 Tatsuki Suzuki - SIC58 Squadra Corse - Honda 1:45.465
2 Andrea Migno - Sky Racing Team VR46 - KTM +0.195
3 John McPhee - Petronas Sprinta Racing - Honda +0.307
Tatsuki Suzuki: "I was struggling a little bit from FP1 because after the crash in the test I lost a bit of confidence on my bike and I was struggling a bit with my riding. But after, I started to work hard with my team and this morning we made a small step on the bike and I got a good feeling. So in Q2, from the first lap I did a 45.7 and I was quite happy about that. But I wasn't t sure if it was enough for pole. So I tried to improve more at the end, and I went three tenths faster so I was quite happy!"
DORNA