Points leader Marc Marquez will start the Czech Grand Prix, round 11 of MotoGP, from pole position after a sensational qualifying lap that included him passing Valentino Rossi at the final corner.Marquez lapped the Brno track in 1m54.596s, despite having to pass Rossi’s works Yamaha and almost hitting the rear of Pol Espargaro’s Tech 3-run Yamaha.
He was 0.253s quicker than Jorge Lorenzo, who had dominated the session up until that point.
“I found the perfect lap,” said Marquez.
Story of the session
Marquez and Rossi went for the hard front tyre, as opposed to Lorenzo who was on softs all round.
Ducati’s Andrea Iannone set the benchmark at 1m55.626s, which Lorenzo obliterated by six tenths with 1m54.959s, which was a new qualifying track record.
Marquez moved up to second, despite catching teammate Dani Pedrosa at the end of the lap, a third of a second off Lorenzo. Hector Barbera’s satellite Ducati jumped up to third by following Marquez.
Rossi was half a second off after his first run in fourth, but ahead of Iannone and Suzuki’s Maverick Vinales. The Italian then took the soft front for his final run in a bid to grab a spot on the front row.
Lorenzo extended his pole advantage with a second flying lap of 1m54.849s, putting him four tenths clear of Marquez. But the championship leader unleashed a phenomenal 1m54.596s, beating Lorenzo by over a quarter of a second despite encountering Rossi and Pol Espargaro.
Iannone grabbed third at the end of the session, 0.6s down, ahead of Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro and Barbera.
Rossi will start down in sixth, his final effort being compromised by Marquez’s pole antics.
Dovizioso had a delayed start to his session as he pitted at the end of his out lap for a change to his front forks. He then aborted his first run after a big moment into Turn 11 as his rear wheel came well off the ground under braking at over 150mph.
He salvaged seventh, 1.1s off the pace, ahead of Vinales, Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow, who had a huge shunt in FP4 in which his bike was catapulted over the debris fence.
Story by: motorsport.com