Zarco nips Marquez for pole at LeMans

Marquez just missed pole
Marquez just missed pole

Marc Marquez’s stunning 1’31.293 in today’s qualifying at Le Mans was 0.790" faster than the previous circuit-best lap (Lorenzo – 2016) but just a fraction down on the new pole record set by Johann Zarco in front of his home crowd.

It was an incredibly tense Q2 session in Le Mans, with all eyes pinned towards the number 5 to see if he could get his M1 Yamaha on pole. The Frenchman, straight out the blocks, didn’t disappoint. He topped the timesheets after his first flying lap, however Marquez – as ever – was quick to reply. The reigning World Champion wasn’t at the summit for long though, as Petrucci put in his fastest lap of the weekend go provisional P1. Zarco though had other ideas, and on the final lap of his first run, the Frenchman sent a warning sign, going 0.330 seconds quicker than anyone else.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) briefly led the session when the riders came back out for their second runs, but Marquez then reset the benchmark, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) leaping up to second. The home hero though wasn’t done, again going quickest, this time by 0.130. Marquez’ efforts on his final lap sent French nerves into overdrive, but Zarco held on.

Iannone starts from P4 on his Suzuki, his time of 1:31.454 was less than a tenth off the front row. The Italian heads the two factory Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso, who’ll start fifth, and Lorenzo in sixth – both of whom look to have very strong race pace.

Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was impressive once again in P7, he was in the mix throughout the session, making it four Ducatis in the top seven on a track the manufacturer has never won at. A team who have enjoyed winning at Le Mans recently are Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, however, Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi will have work to do from P8 and P9 on the grid respectively. The two will be disappointed to be over half a second behind fellow Yamaha rider Zarco.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who came through Q1, will start from tenth on Sunday. He is joined by Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing), who was a slender 0.025 behind his compatriot, and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro. The number 41 crashed at Turn 1 on his opening run – he was ok and ran back to the pits.

The grid is set then for the French GP. Zarco led into the chicane here in 2017 after starting third, can he hold off the ever-fast Marquez and Petrucci when he launches from pole? Watch out

Lineup

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'31.185
2 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 0.108
3 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 0.196
4 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 0.269
5 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 0.368
6 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 0.405
7 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 0.498
8 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.599
9 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 0.715
10 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 0.839
11 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 0.864
12 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.270
13 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 1'32.315
14 SYAHRIN Hafizh 55 MAL Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 0.579
15 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 0.583
16 MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 0.952
17 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 0.977
18 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1.170
19 NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN LCR Honda Honda 1.244
20 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Angel Nieto Team Ducati 1.506
21 LUTHI Tom 12 SWI EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1.621
22 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1.858
23 SIMEON Xavier 10 BEL Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 1.984
24 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Angel Nieto Team Ducati 2.021