MotoGP: Quartararo beats Miller by just 0.037s to claim pole in Barcelona

For the first time since Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2014, a MotoGP™ rider has claimed five straight pole positions in a row. That man is, of course, World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) after he set a 1:38.853 in Q2 at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya – a new all-time lap record.

Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) came through Q1 to bag P2 despite a late crash at Turn 3, second in the title race Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) picked up an important front row start in P3.

Miller found himself in Q1 after losing out in the closing stages of FP3, but the Australian made it through without any real dramas. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), just as he did at Mugello with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), latched himself onto the back of Miller for both runs, as the pair had a light-hearted exchange heading out of pitlane.

Down on power in his Honda, Marc Marquez tries to draft Miller’s powerful Ducati – to no avail

However, the number 93 missed out on advancing through to Q2 by 0.011s, as the eight-time World Champion’s teammate Pol Espargaro sneaked through to the pole position shootout. Just 0.028s split Miller, Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez in Q1, the latter settling for P13 on the grid at his home Grand Prix.

Your front row for Sunday

Qualifying Results

POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF
1 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’38.853s
2 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.037s
3 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.196s
4 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.246s
5 Franco Morbidelli ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.256s
6 Maverick Viñales SPA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.304s
7 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.365s
8 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.490s
9 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.506s
10 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.578s
11 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.752s
12 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +2.938s
Q1
13 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1’39.181s
14 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’39.347s
15 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* 1’39.532s
16 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’39.567s
17 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’39.59s
18 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’39.744s
19 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’39.942s
20 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’40.009s
21 Lorenzo Savadori ITA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 1’40.158s