With threatening forecasts of storms tomorrow, the weather stayed dry for qualifying at Termas de Rio Hondo. And Marc Marquez made the most of it, running a hectic two-stop/three run session to claim the 81st pole position in his glittering career.
The Repsol Honda rider had to change his strategy after a problem in Q4 – the chain jumping off the sprocket on his out lap – meant he had only one bike for that session; then his second run was spoiled with a near crash at the first corner.
“But I felt better on the third tyre, and I was able to get pole,” he smiled.
Second-fastest, one-and-a-half tenths down, was a beaming Maverick Vinales, the Monster Yamaha rider coming through strongly after a slow start yesterday, when he was struggling with wheelspin issues. “We have a lot to improve, but I think we can. The race will be difficult, but I feel great, and that is something really special,” he said.
The final front row position was slightly surprising for Qatar winner Andrea Dovizioso, and all the more gratifying after a rare crash in morning free practice. The Mission Winnow Ducati rider sounded a note of caution in the face of the changeable weather. “The speed is there, and the feeling is good. I’m really happy with the first row because tomorrow looks like conditions will be different … strange, like always in Argentina.”
After ultra-close times in free practice, the gaps grew slightly when it really mattered, with only the top ten within a second of pole.
All the same, less than a tenth separated Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha) from the front row, a radical improvement from the previous race, when he remained mired in Q1. He was just three thousandths clear of Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati), the Australian fast in all sessions, and disappointed not to hang on to the front row.
The strength of the Yamahas was underlined by Petronas riders Franco Morbidelli and class rookie Fabio Quartararo, placed sixth and seventh, just one hundredth apart. Before the final rush, Quartararo had been as high as second.
Several crucial slips left last year’s winner Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) a disappointed eighth, one place ahead of this team-mate Takaaki Nakagami, through from Q1, riding Crutchlow’s last-year’s bike.
Also disappointed, tenth-placed Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati), heading row four. If predictions of rain tomorrow come true, Petrucci might have hoped for an easier run if he had been further forward on the grid.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM) was a rewarding 11th, also through from Q1 and ahead of Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda), whose best lap was disallowed after he had exceeded track limits. He was 1.2 seconds down on team-mate Marquez.
It was an unexpectedly disappointing afternoon for the Suzuki team, after both riders had been strong in free practice. Alex Rins was 16th, leading row six behind Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), strong rookie Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) and Reale Avintia Ducati’s Karel Abraham.
Pecco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) was 17th and Red Bull KTM’s Zarco 18th; with Joan Mir (Suzuki) 19th.
Moto2
Spaniard Xavi Vierge (EG-VDS Kalex) took a second career pole in Moto2, one year after his first one, at the same circuit.
Vierge headed a close pack of times, with the front-row trio covered by 0.012 of a second, and all 18 candidates in Q2 within less than one second.
Vierge’s 1m 42.726s was a new circuit best lap, as the new 765cc Triumphs continue to erase the memory of the first-generation 600cc Honda-powered Moto2.
Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Kalex) was second; and Sam Lowes (Federal Oils Kalex) pushed through to place third after the chequered flag.
Two more Kalexes led row two, with Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex) less than a tenth ahead of class come-back man Thomas Luthi (Dynavolt Kalex).
Brad Binder was barely two hundredths slower, his Red Bull bike top KTM.
Free practice leader Remy Gardner (ONEXOX Kalex) ended up seventh to lead row three from late-coming Qatar winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox Kalex) and top rookie Nicolo Bulega (SKY VR46 Kalex).
Two more Kalexes – of Simone Corsi and second-best rookie Enea Bastianini (both through from Q1) straddle Jorge Navarro’s Speed Up on row four. Navarro was only 0.372 of a second off pole.
Moto3
Moto3 will see a new face on pole position, with Bester Capital KTM rider Jaume Masia taking a career-first pole by an impressive three tenths of a second.
Spaniard Masia (18), in his second full season, came through to put compatriot and fellow KTM rider Aron Canet second. Canet, riding for Max Biaggi’s new Sterilgarda team, had to come through from Q1, the MotoGP style qualifying system introduced for the smaller classes this year.
Last year’s pole man Tony Arbolino pushed through in the dying seconds to become top Honda, the Snipers team rider pushing Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Honda) to lead the second row from Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Honda) and Andrea Migno (Bester KTM), who was also through from Q1.
Second Snipers Honda rider Romano Fenati heads row three from Qatar winner Kaito Toba (Team Asia Honda) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Honda); with Raul Fernandez (Sama KTM) completing the top ten, and free practice leader John McPhee (Petronas Honda) dropped to 11th.
The top 15 were within one second of pole.
By Michael Scott
