Marc Marquez has ended Maverick Vinales MotoGP dominance in 2017 by taking pole in Argentina by a comfortable seventh-tenths from an impressive Karel Abraham, who clinched his best-ever premier class qualifying position in drying conditions.
Repsol Honda rider Marquez lapped in 1m 47.512s on a drying surface to take the stop spot at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit from Abraham on the Aspar Ducati GP15, who narrowly edged Cal Crutchlow for second place by just 0.003s.
Vinales, who has topped every meaningful MotoGP session and test, including his win on debut for Movistar Yamaha in Qatar two weeks ago, starts from the back of the second row which is headed by Octo Pramac Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci with Dani Pedrosa in fifth having graduated from Q1.
Vinales' best lap of 1m 49.218s narrowly held off team-mate Rossi, who starts from row three in seventh place. The 38-year-old is joined by Gresini Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro and Loris Baz on the Avintia Ducati, who had held a provisional front row place earlier in Q2 when conditions were much wetter.
Alvaro Bautista completed the top ten on the Aspar Ducati GP16 to lead row four, with Jonas Folger the top rookie on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in 11th and Andrea Iannone 12th on the Ecstar Suzuki.
Jorge Lorenzo struggled on the factory Ducati as he finished 16th fastest behind Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Ducati).
Full Argentina MotoGP qualifying results:
Qualifying 2:
1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 47.512s [Lap 6/7] 314km/h (Top Speed)
2. Karel Abraham CZE Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 48.275s +0.763s [6/7] 304km/h
3. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 1m 48.278s +0.766s [7/8] 312km/h
4. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 48.908s +1.396s [6/8] 314km/h
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 49.008s +1.496s [5/8] 303km/h
6. Maverick Viñales ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 49.218s +1.706s [7/7] 306km/h
7. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 49.272s +1.760s [8/8] 310km/h
8. Aleix Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1m 49.323s +1.811s [7/7] 307km/h
9. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP15) 1m 49.630s +2.118s [3/7] 306km/h
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 49.724s +2.212s [8/8] 312km/h
11. Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 49.825s +2.313s [7/7] 306km/h
12. Andrea Iannone ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 50.725s +3.213s [7/7] 307km/h
Qualifying 1:
13. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 49.488s 306km/h
14. Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* 1m 49.916s 311km/h
15. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 50.048s 314km/h
16. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP17) 1m 50.310s 310km/h
17. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 50.319s 311km/h
18. Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 50.673s 311km/h
19. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 1m 50.676s 305km/h
20. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 1m 50.910s 312km/h
21. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 51.058s 313km/h
22. Sam Lowes GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* 1m 51.199s 306km/h
23. Alex Rins ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)* 1m 52.340s 308km/h
