Monster Yamaha’s Johann Zarco has taken his second-ever MotoGP pole position with top spot in today’s qualifying session at Motegi, fending off a late challenge from Danilo Petrucci while reigning champion Marc Marquez had to rely on his first flying lap time after taking a slick-tyre gamble.
Marquez’ best time from his first run, a 1’53.903 complete with a huge moment in the final corner, gave him a 1.5s advantage over the pack and he returned to the pits to see old rival Valentino Rossi - who crashed in FP4 - lapping on slicks. The Honda man then changed to mirror The Doctor as Rossi himself gave up and came in for a set of wets.
Team-mate Maverick Vinales’ wet-weather nightmare continues as he failed to escape qualifying one and will start from 14th on the grid.
Meanwhile, it looked like a straight fight for the rest of the front row with Petrucci, Pol Espargaro and and title challenger Andrea Dovizioso all in the mix early doors. Espargaro, who came through qualifying one with KTM team-mate Bradley Smith, leapt into second with a 1’54.906 to depose Dovizioso.
Zarco, meanwhile, had finished his first run on the soft rear Michelin wet, changed to the extra soft with a soft front and bagged pole with a 1’53.496. Aleix Espargaro pushed his brother down to fourth place as his last lap of a 1’54.444 on the extra soft was quick enough for third.
Jorge Lorenzo got himself in the top three with a 1’54.356 as Petrucci’s final run saw him bounce into second place with a 1’53.787, pushing Marquez to the outside of the front row and Lorenzo back another place to fifth behind Espargaro’s Aprilia.
Dani Pedrosa found some speed with his last lap to nab sixth place with Smith just pushing ahead of Pol Espargaro for seventh as the two KTM contested qualifying two for the first time this year at a track the bike had never seen until yesterday.
Dovizoso slipped back to ninth place with Alex Rins finishing in tenth, just ahead of Ecstar Suzuki team-mate Andrea Iannone. Rossi’s laps on slicks earlier meant he had only one flying lap with a wet setup and he finished 12th and last in session.
Avintia Ducati’s Loris Baz is in 13th, one ahead of Vinales, while Britain’s Cal Crutchlow struggled in the final sector, nearly crashing twice, and will start from 15th. Sam Lowes is in 18th place with Scott Redding down in 22nd.
