Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Johann Zarco of France does a wheelie during the qualifying session of the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail International Circuit yesterday.
DOHA: Popular French rider Johann Zarco last night launched the new season by grabbing the pole position for today’s Grand Prix of Qatar, leaving many of his experienced riders stunned with his breathtaking speed.
The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider powered his way to the pole - by beating a lap record that had stood for a decade - under lights at Losail International Circuit.
Zarco clocked a time of 1’53.680 to secure the top berth ahead of defending world champion Marc Marquez (0.202 seconds behind) of Spain and Italy’s Danilo Petrucci (0.207 seconds behind) who secured the third spot on the front row.
British rider Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol, Honda), Italian star Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), and Spain’s Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar, Suzuki) secured the fourth, fifth and sixth positions respectively on the second row for tonight’s season-opening race.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team, Honda), Valentino Rossi, (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, Yamaha), Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team, Ducati) and Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing, Ducati) completed the top-10. Zarco, 27, was thrilled with his third career pole position.
“I am pretty happy. This is the best way to start the season. I had a crash on FP4. I didn’t get doubt over that crash, but it’s not funny, you know, to be down before qualifying,” Zarco said yesterday.
“But then I knew that with a new tyre and light bike I feel good. Since this morning, I got back my feeling that I had during the test. And to beat the lap record, that makes me really happy,” he added.
“Tomorrow is the main thing. Try to win, try to be on the podium. It looks the pace is not the best one, but at least to start from pole is the best chance to catch a good result,” Zarco said.
Marquez, who won 6 races last year, said yesterday: “Honestly, (I am) really happy. We worked a lot in the pre-season. We worked a lot and now was the first time of real-time attack. And we are on the front row. I am happy because here normally I’m struggling quite a lot. My target was try to be on the front row. I feel like on pole position because today was the main target.”
He added: “Johann was riding amazing, I followed him (as) he was one step in front of us. But anyway tomorrow the race is long (with) many laps.”
Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) President Abdulrahman Al Mannai is seen with FIM President Vito Ippolito at Losail International Circuit (LIC) yesterday. The QMMF President presented a memento to the FIM chief who is in the country to watch the Grand Prix of Qatar that takes place at LIC today. Khalid Al Remaihi, Vice President and General Manager of Losail Circuit Sports Club, is also seen.
Third-placed Petrucci said: “It was very difficult today, very very difficult. There was a lot of wind and then the track was really dirty. In the first qualifying (session), I felt not so good, maybe I didn’t warm up the tyre well, so I come back, and I said to the mechanics ‘I want to go out alone’.
“They say go now - and immediately there were 11 riders with me. I decided I have to do one lap, I push a lot. I saw Zarco doing a very very good lap. In front of me was Marc (so) I push very hard - and I didn’t imagine to score the first row.”
Earlier Spain’s Alex Marquez - clocking a top speed of 274.4km/h - yesterday to emerge as the clear pole winner in the Moto2 class, finishing ahead of Italian duo Lorenzo Baldassarrita and Francesca Bagnaia.
Marquez, riding for EG 0,0 Marc VDS, clocked a time of 2’00.299 to claim the front spot on grid one. Tall Italian Baldassarrita (Pons HP40) - looking very comfortable on his Kalex - was just 0.308 seconds adrift of Marquez while Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) completed the front row.
In the second row, Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo, KTM), Italy’s rookie sensation Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team, Kalex) and Great Britain’s Danny Kent (Beta Tools - Speed Up Racing, Speed Up) grabbed the fourth, fifth and sixth spots on the Moto2 grid for the season’s opening 20-lap race.
Repsol Honda’s Spanish driver Marc Marquez competes during the MotoGP qualifying session at the Losail International Circuit yesterday.
Spain’s Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2, Kalex), Italy’s Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team, Kalex), Germany’s Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP, Kalex) and Great Britain’s Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors, KTM) completed the top-10 in yesterday’s qualifying.
“I am really happy to start the season with this pole position, especially as this was a difficult session with the wind and dust on the track,” Alex Marquez said yesterday.
“As the session progressed the racing line became cleaner and I improved my time at the end. I think we are well prepared for any conditions tomorrow, with a good rhythm and strong race set-up,” the younger sibling of MotoGP defending champion Marc said.
Team Principal of EG 0,0 Marc VDS, Michael Bartholemy said: “Alex has completed two fantastic days of practice and qualifying, he has been very impressive, and most importantly he has a really good rhythm for the race.”
Earlier yesterday, Italian rider Niccolo Antonelli powered his Honda to the top spot in Moto3 qualifying, nailing the front berth on the grid with a time of 2’06.364 despite the track being hit by dust storms.
