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Current MotoGP championship leader Marc Marques continued has hurtle towards the title with yet another pole start, this time at Sepang in Malaysia - it's his eighty of the season.
SEPANG, Malaysia - Championship leader Marc Marquez continued his brilliant MotoGP rookie season by claiming pole position for the Malaysian GP while his main rivals were consigned to the second row at a wet Sepang on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Honda rider's time of 2min 0.011 on his seventh and final lap was the quickest yet at the circuit and gave him his eighth pole of the season and a fourth in a row.
"I'm really happy with this pole position particularly as earning it was a little different to my previous poles," Marquez told MotoGP.com. "At the start of qualifying there were two completely wet corners which made it hard to put in a hot lap as we had to calculate the amount of risk whilst still maintaining our speed.
"I knew the final lap of the session would be definitive because the surface was drying out and conditions were getting better by the minute. Things worked out for us and I set a time I really wasn't expecting."
THREE RACES LEFT
The Spaniard will be joined on the front row by the Yamaha’s Italian seven-times champion Valentino Rossi (2min00.336) and Briton Cal Crutchlow (2min00.359).
Marquez is looking for his seventh win of the year on Sunday and to extend his 39-point championship lead over compatriot Jorge Lorenzo with just three more races left in the season after Malaysia.
Defending champion Lorenzo will line up in the second row, alongside Marquez's team mate Dani Pedrosa, after setting the fourth-fastest time. "Tomorrow will be a different story because Lorenzo and Dani both have great pace so we shall see if we have a bit of good fortune and the conditions remain dry," Marquez added.
Pedrosa, runner up in the title race last year but 59 points behind Marquez coming to Malaysia, had dominated the practice over the weekend but was unable to maintain his advantage over his rivals in the decisive qualifying shootout.
"A couple of corners were wet and so it wasn't easy for qualifying," Pedrosa said. "I managed to do a great lap. It wasn't enough today but overall I am happy with the performance."
DIFFERENT MOOD FOR PEDESA
The 28-year-old's mood was completely different to last week when he was left fuming at Marquez after his young team mate made contact with his bike at the Aragon GP which Pedrosa blamed for his retirement from the race.
Marquez was handed a third penalty point of the season for his part in a collision, one point shy of automatic relegation to the back of the grid for one race.
Results from Malaysia MotoGP qualifying
1 Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 2min00.011
2 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 2min00.336
3 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 2min00.359
4 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 2min00.578
5 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 2min00.692
6 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 2min00.974
7 Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha 2min01.306
8 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 2min01.635
9 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 2min02.151
10 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati 2min02.536
SEPANG, Malaysia - Championship leader Marc Marquez continued his brilliant MotoGP rookie season by claiming pole position for the Malaysian GP while his main rivals were consigned to the second row at a wet Sepang on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Honda rider's time of 2min 0.011 on his seventh and final lap was the quickest yet at the circuit and gave him his eighth pole of the season and a fourth in a row.
"I'm really happy with this pole position particularly as earning it was a little different to my previous poles," Marquez told MotoGP.com. "At the start of qualifying there were two completely wet corners which made it hard to put in a hot lap as we had to calculate the amount of risk whilst still maintaining our speed.
"I knew the final lap of the session would be definitive because the surface was drying out and conditions were getting better by the minute. Things worked out for us and I set a time I really wasn't expecting."
THREE RACES LEFT
The Spaniard will be joined on the front row by the Yamaha’s Italian seven-times champion Valentino Rossi (2min00.336) and Briton Cal Crutchlow (2min00.359).
Marquez is looking for his seventh win of the year on Sunday and to extend his 39-point championship lead over compatriot Jorge Lorenzo with just three more races left in the season after Malaysia.
Defending champion Lorenzo will line up in the second row, alongside Marquez's team mate Dani Pedrosa, after setting the fourth-fastest time. "Tomorrow will be a different story because Lorenzo and Dani both have great pace so we shall see if we have a bit of good fortune and the conditions remain dry," Marquez added.
Pedrosa, runner up in the title race last year but 59 points behind Marquez coming to Malaysia, had dominated the practice over the weekend but was unable to maintain his advantage over his rivals in the decisive qualifying shootout.
"A couple of corners were wet and so it wasn't easy for qualifying," Pedrosa said. "I managed to do a great lap. It wasn't enough today but overall I am happy with the performance."
DIFFERENT MOOD FOR PEDESA
The 28-year-old's mood was completely different to last week when he was left fuming at Marquez after his young team mate made contact with his bike at the Aragon GP which Pedrosa blamed for his retirement from the race.
Marquez was handed a third penalty point of the season for his part in a collision, one point shy of automatic relegation to the back of the grid for one race.
Results from Malaysia MotoGP qualifying
1 Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 2min00.011
2 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 2min00.336
3 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 2min00.359
4 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 2min00.578
5 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 2min00.692
6 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 2min00.974
7 Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha 2min01.306
8 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 2min01.635
9 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 2min02.151
10 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati 2min02.536
