Aleix Espargaro set the best time in qualifying for the Catalan GP aboard his Aprilia on Saturday. The two Frenchmen Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) and Johann Zarco (Honda-LCR) failed to escape from Q1
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) will start in pole position for the Catalan GP, 6th round of the MotoGP season, after setting the best qualifying time on Saturday, while Marc Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) will only start 14th. .
On home soil, the Catalan snatched the sixth pole of his career from under the nose of reigning double world champion Italy Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). South African Brad Binder (KTM) completes the front row.
Two days after announcing that he would end his career at the end of the season, Espargaro (34), already the fastest in practice, did it again at the last minute in qualifying and once again broke the track record.
Spanish prodigy Pedro Acosta (Gasgas-Tech3) took fourth place, ahead of Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati-VR46) and his compatriot Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac), world championship leader.
Marc Marquez failed to finish in one of the first two places in Q1 and will have to settle for 14th position on the grid, just behind his brother and teammate Alex.
As is often the case this season, the two Frenchmen Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) and Johann Zarco (Honda-LCR) did not manage to get out of Q1 and will start far from the best, in 17th and 18th places respectively.
Starting grid
1st line:
Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia)
Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati)
Brad Binder (RSA/KTM)
2nd line:
Pedro Acosta (ESP/GasGas-Tech3)
Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Ducati-VR46)
Jorge Martín (ESP/Ducati-Pramac)
3rd line:
Raul Fernandez (ESP/Aprilia-Trackhouse)
Enea Bastianini (ITA/Ducati)
Alex Rins (ESP/Yamaha)
4th line:
Jack Miller (AUS/KTM)
Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Ducati-Pramac)
Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia)
5th line:
Alex Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini)
Marc Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini)
Miguel Oliveira (POR/Aprilia-Trackhouse)
6th line:
Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46)
Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha)
Johann Zarco (FRA/Honda-LCR)
7th line:
Augusto Fernandez (ESP/GasGas-Tech3)
Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR)
Joan Mir (ESP/Honda)
8th line:
Luca Marini (ITA/Honda)
Stefan Bradl (GER/Team HRC)
