Silverstone (England): Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC 213 V) has secured pole position for Sunday’s British motorcycle Grand Prix, posting a new Silverstone lap record in the process.
With his latest strong qualifying performance Saturday, the 26-year-old Spanish great will start first for the fourth straight race and the eighth time this season, Efe news reported.
Marquez, who posted a best lap of one minute, 58.168 seconds in Saturday’s second round of qualifying to earn his 60th MotoGP pole, has now grabbed the top spot on the grid in half of his 120 events in that category.
The Repsol Honda rider prevailed over veteran Italian great Valentino Rossi (Yamaha YZR M 1) and Australia’s Jack Miller (Ducati Desmosedici GP19), who came in second and third, respectively.
Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha YZR M 1) who had dominated the first three free practice sessions, had to settle for the fourth spot on the grid.
Spaniards Alex Rins (Suzuki GSX RR) and Maverick Viñales (Yamaha YZR M 1) will share the second row with Quartararo after finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
In just his second lap of the 15-minute Q2, Marquez posted a 1:58.612, which was a tenth of a second behind the time posted by Quartararo.
Miller then became the third rider in Q2 to lap the circuit in under 1:59, posting a time of 1:58.985 seconds on his third attempt.
Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and Marquez came back to the track together after switching to hard tires in front and soft in the rear, while Quartararo returned with a pair of soft tires.
Marquez saved his best for the end of Q2 to smash the lap record that had been set during a Saturday practice session by Quartararo at the Silverstone Circuit, while Rossi finished more than four-tenths of a second behind with a best lap of 1:58.596.
Sunday’s race will be the first at Silverstone in two years, the 2018 edition having been cancelled due to heavy rain.
Marquez also secured pole position for the 2017 British MotoGP, but he did not finish that race due to engine problems and Dovizioso ended up taking the checkered flag.
The Spaniard, whose only British MotoGP title came in 2014, has won the last three MotoGP riders’ championships and five overall.
He is in first place with 230 points with 11 of 19 races completed in the 2019 season, 58 points ahead of second-placed rider Dovizioso.
(IANS)
