Rossi nips Marquez for pole at Motegi

Rossi charges to pole
Rossi charges to pole

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will start from pole at the Twin Ring Motegi for the Japanese GP, as the Italian legend fought off Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in a close Q2 to take his 64th pole — and equal the record number of pole positions held by both Marquez and Rossi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Day 2 at the Twin Ring Motegi was characterized by more somewhat uncharacteristic sunshine, with the venue providing near-perfect conditions as Q2 got underway. Marquez was the early leader in the session after also going fastest in FP3 and FP4, with the Championship leader then finding himself trailing Rossi on a hot lap and running wide — as the Italian then took over at the top. Marquez lost his final attempt after an incident in front of him on track for LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow, rolling off and ruing the lost chance.

A battered and bruised Lorenzo, following his highside in FP3, came back in stunning 'Spartan' style in qualifying to grit his teeth through the pain barrier — something the Mallorcan has previous form in after, most memorably, coming home in the top five at Assen in 2013 after breaking his collarbone on the Thursday. Reigning Champion Lorenzo lines up on the front row in P3.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was fourth quickest as the lead bike from the Borgo Panigale factory, with former teammate Crutchlow crashing in the final minutes of the session. The Brno winner kept P5 on the timesheets to line up on the second row however, with that row completed by Team Suzuki Ecstar's Aleix Espargaro. Espargaro outpaced teammate Maverick Vinales at the Hamamatsu factory's home race, with the younger Spaniard lining up in P7.

Hector Barbera (Ducati Team) had a solid session as he replaces injured Andrea Iannone to qualify eighth, with Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completing the top ten.

Q1 graduates Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) reversed positions in Q2 as the Brit qualified P11, after Bautista suffered a fall early in the session.

Lights go out for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan at 14:00 local time (GMT +9), as Marquez readies himself for the possibility of taking the title ???????? and Rossi and Lorenzo square up to stop him.

Lineup

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 1'43.954
2 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'44.134
3 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 1'44.221
4 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'44.294
5 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda Honda 1'44.402
6 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1'44.494
7 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki 1'44.539
8 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Ducati Team Ducati 1'44.980
9 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'45.232
10 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1'45.782
11 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1'45.827
12 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1'45.614
13 BRADL Stefan 6 GER Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia 1'45.823 (Q2)
14 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1'46.347 (Q2)
15 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'46.593 (Q2)
16 NAKASUGA Katsuyuki 21 JPN Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha 1'46.627 (Q2)
17 HERNANDEZ Yonny 68 COL Aspar MotoGP Team Ducati 1'46.705 (Q2)
18 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda 1'46.753 (Q2)
19 LAVERTY Eugene 50 IRE Aspar MotoGP Team Ducati 1'47.060 (Q2)
20 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Avintia Racing Ducati 1'47.501 (Q2)
21 JONES Mike 7 AUS Avintia Racing Ducati 1'47.631 (Q2)
22 AOYAMA Hiroshi 73 JPN Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'47.788 (Q2)