until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro claimed the fourth pole position of his MotoGP career in qualifying for the Catalan Grand Prix at Barcelona.
Having topped three of the four practice sessions leading up to qualifying, Espargaro narrowly managed to snap a five-race pole streak enjoyed by Ducati.
Last weekend’s podium finishers Fabio Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia and Espargaro were split by just 0.012s out front after the opening runs of Q2.
Bagnaia then jumped out ahead with a 1m38.787s with three minutes left on the clock – yet his time as provisional poleman lasted only about a minute, as Espargaro responded with a 1m38.742s.
Bagnaia got another chance to maintain Ducati’s pole streak at the chequered flag, but ultimately came up 0.031s short, having narrowly led before the final sector.
Quartararo settled for joining them on the front row, and will be followed by an all-Ducati row two of Johann Zarco (Pramac), rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini) and Jorge Martin (Pramac).
Di Giannantonio’s fifth place – enabled by him following Zarco – comes on the heels of him having taken pole last time out at Mugello, when he made the most of damp conditions.
Alex Rins led the way for Suzuki in seventh, just 0.003s off Martin, while Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) was eighth after having topped Q1.
The Q2 order was completed by Luca Marini (VR46 Ducati), Pol Espargaro (Honda), Jack Miller (Ducati) and Q1 graduate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda).
The season’s leading rookei Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) and title contender Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) were both within a couple of hundredths of making Q2, ending up 13th and 14th respectively.
Brad Binder’s valiant attempt to end KTM’s Q2 drought – which has now extended to four races – ended with him having to ride out of the Turn 10 gravel, the South African having to settle for fifth in Q1 (and 15th on the grid) despite ending the segment just 0.033s off the pace.
Team-mate Miguel Oliveira was two tenths off right behind him, having followed Suzuki’s Joan Mir – who ended up another two tenths down, for 17th on the grid and his second consecutive Q1 exit.
A much-improved weekend of practice from Franco Morbidelli did not translate into the first Q2 appearance since the Qatar opener, with the Italian qualifying only 18th, slower in Q1 than he had been in FP3.
A high-speed crash at the last corner during the pre-qualifying FP4 session sent Alex Marquez tumbling through the gravel, his visor coming off his helmet as a result. He managed to just about stumble away from the site of the accident, but was then taken to the medical centre for a check-up, forcing him to miss qualifying.
LCR team boss Lucio Cecchinello said Marquez suffered “a very small concussion” and was undergoing checks on his left wrist but could yet be fit to race on Sunday.
