Marc Marquez is Participating In His 100th GP
Marquez now also boasts a 59% ratio of poles in all MotoGP
starts (13 in 22 attempts) after clinching the top spot in Jerez, breaking the
lap record en route with a 1’38.120.
Before qualifying, Marquez and his team calculated that a
three-stop run would be possible during the 15 minute session, which they felt
was important as the life of the soft rear tyre was apparently optimum for only
one flying lap with track temperatures so high.
Marquez stole Lorenzo’s lap record from 2008 (1’38.189) –
the last season in which there were still qualifying tyres in MotoGP – and
recorded the fastest ever official lap on two wheels at Jerez with a time of 1’38.120
on lap eight of eight.
“I am very happy with this pole position, as it was hard
fought and I wasn't expecting it. We are suffering a little more here than at
other tracks, but despite this we are still at the same level as Lorenzo and
(Dani) Pedrosa,” said the young Spaniard.
On his unique pit strategy he added, “We changed it at the
last minute; I asked if it would be possible to use three soft tyres, and they
said that it was. It was all last minute and I am satisfied with how it worked
out, but we know that Sunday is the important day. Jorge and, above all, Dani
have a great pace”
His teammate Dani Pedrosa opted for the normal two stop
strategy, completing two flying laps with each tyre, and clocked a time of
1’38.630 placing him on the front row in third for Sunday’s 27 lap race.
Pedrosa commented, "We took a step forward with the
bike setup today and also went better with the race tyres. In the qualifying
session we tried to do as well as possible, but it is always difficult to put
in a really fast lap. We will try to get a good start, then have a good race.”
- 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 292.1 1’38.120
- 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 287.5 1’38.541 0.421 / 0.421
- 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 292.7 1’38.630 0.510 / 0.089
- 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 289.4 1’38.857 0.737 / 0.227
- 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 284.8 1’39.007 0.887 / 0.150
- 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 291.0 1’39.222 1.102 / 0.215
- 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 291.1 1’39.243 1.123 / 0.021
- 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 289.2 1’39.293 1.173 / 0.050
- 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 290.6 1’39.390 1.270 / 0.097
- 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 291.8 1’39.751 1.631 / 0.361
- 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 286.3 1’39.814 1.694 / 0.063
- 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Drive M7 Aspar Honda 280.0 1’39.826 1.706 / 0.012
