Quartararo on Mugello pole as Marquez frustrates Vinales

MotoGP points leader Fabio Quartararo took a convincing pole for the Italian GP at Mugello, as Marc Marquez irked his team-mate Maverick Vinales in the first segment.

The start of qualifying was delayed by over half an hour after a horrifying accident in Moto3 qualifying earlier, that left 19-year-old Jason Depasquier requiring prolonged medical attention right in the middle of the circuit.

Depasquier was caught up in a three-bike incident that also involved Ayumu Sasaki and Jeremy Alcoba, and was taken to a trauma centre in a Florence hospital by helicopter.

The delayed Q1 that followed after the usual MotoGP FP4 session was the first Vinales has had to contest since Valencia last year, and like then he missed out on advancing, resigned to starting 13th after missing out on Q2 by 0.021s.

But the result would’ve only exacerbated what was already a serious amount of frustration for Vinales, who was mercilessly followed by Marquez all throughout the first segment.

Vinales had to back out of an initial push lap and deliberately took to the pitlane on his second set of tyres to shake off his pursuers, but Marquez was undeterred by that, or by Vinales’ repeated angry gesticulations.

You stay out, I stay out! 💨
You pit in, I pit in! ⏩#ItalianGP 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/WnrOxeNCCt

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 29, 2021

And when Vinales did finally begin to push, Marquez followed him turn for turn and ended up a tenth quicker – albeit as both crossed the line moments before the chequered flag, Vinales would get another go.

However, the Yamaha rider went wide entering Bucine while on course to challenge for a Q2 time, and had to be resigned to a fifth-row start.

When Q2 commenced, reports of rain in the area created a sense of urgency of the pole shoot-out, and championship leader Quartararo took the early advantage with a 1m45.481s.

He improved this to a 1m45.187s – the new lap record – on his second rear soft tyre run, to take pole by 0.230s over nearest points rival Francesco Bagnaia, who had been followed by numerous riders through the session but managed to salvage a front-row start at the chequered flag.

Doing likewise was his Ducati stablemate Johann Zarco, going 0.015s slower than Bagnaia in Jack Miller’s tow, with Miller only fifth.

Aleix Espargaro, having escaped Q1 at Vinales’ expense, was a standout fourth for Aprilia right ahead of Miller, having benefitted from a Bagnaia tow on both of his runs, while the much-improved works KTMs of Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira completed the top seven, 0.002s apart.

The Suzukis of Alex Rins and Joan Mir were next up, with Franco Morbidelli in 10th as the next-best Yamaha behind Quartararo.

Marquez and factory Honda team-mate Pol Espargaro completed the top 12.

Vinales will be joined by standout Avintia Ducati rookie Enea Bastianini and LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami, who seemed to get in Vinales’ way on the opening Q1 run.

Local favourite Valentino Rossi will start what might be his final Italian GP in 19th, having recorded what is only the second-worst qualifying result of his first campaign with Petronas Yamaha.

Qualifying Results