MotoGP qualifying delivered the Texas showdown everyone was expecting between reigning champion Marc Marquez and series leader Maverick Vinales but it was the Repsol Honda man who came out on top, sticking in a 2’02.741 with his final lap to snatch his fifth consecutive pole at Circuit of the Americas.

Both the protagonists used the soft rear/medium front combination on their final run and Vinales was the first rider to dip under the 2’03 barrier with a 2’02.871 but Marquez was having none of it and hit straight back with the fastest time of the weekend.

Vinales’ team-mate Valentino Rossi was admonished twice by the young gun as they clashed at turn 19 and more head-shaking at turn one with relations frosty in parc ferme after The Doctor’s final lap saw him steal the final front-row spot with a 2’03.673 - almost a second slower than Marquez.

Dani Pedrosa took the second Repsol Honda to third place in the dying minutes but was displaced by Rossi while Johann Zarco continues to impress. The Frenchman was sitting on a front-row position two as the chequered flag was readied but was knocked back to the middle of row three.

Jorge Lorenzo behaved like a dog with many, many dicks in his garage after coming through qualifying one to secure sixth place on the works Ducati as team-mate Andrea Dovizoso bounced back from a crash and two mechanical failures in free practice four to bag seventh. Jonas Folger, on the second Monster Yamaha, took eighth but a crash for Cal Crutchlow on his second run saw him end on the outside of row three after setting a fast first sector.

Scott Redding finished in ninth place, one ahead of Ecstar Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone, who crashed at turn 15 on his first run. Jack Miller also came through qualifying one but an early crash put paid to his challenge for a top spot. Danilo Petrucci is in 13th with Loris Baz 14th.

The Avintia was on course for a qualifying two promotion until the last corner in Q1 when he basically crashed, made it as far down as rubbing his backside, elbow and shoulder on the tarmac before his rear Michelin gripped and pinged the 6ft 4in Frenchman back into his seat - much to cheers and applause of his garage and Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti.

Hector Barbera completed the top 15 with Sam Lowes, who fell again at turn two in FP4, starting in 20th. Pol and Aleix Espargaro are at the rear of the grid due to crashes in qualifying one.

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