Malaysian MotoGP Results: Quartararo pole, Marquez suffers big crash

Fabio Quartararo has taken a stunning pole position for his Petronas SRT team’s home Malaysian MotoGP after out-psyching Marc Marquez, who paid a heavy price for his ostentatious attempts to get a tow from the Frenchman only to crash heavily.

A dramatic session that built in drama, Marquez came into the session on the back foot as he struggles to keep pace with the Yamaha contingent over a single lap, but his attempts to claw back the initiative ended in disaster when he high-sided heavily while winding up for a quick lap.

Indeed, with all eyes on Quartararo to see whether he could carry his stunning single lap form through to qualifying, Marquez too had the young Frenchman in his sights as he trailed him out of the pit lane ahead of the final laps and refused to overtake him on the out-lap despite Quartararo’s efforts to slow down to walking pace.

Giving up on trying to shake Marquez, Quartararo started his lap but crucially got ahead of an unwitting Danilo Petrucci down to the first corner, forcing the Spaniard to go deep in overtaking the Ducati in turn one too.

With tyres likely cooling down as a result of the slow out-lap, Marquez lost the rear of the Honda around turn two, flinging him into the air and coming down hard first on his feet and then his wrist and head. He will start 11^th as a result, though he will likely need to get medical attention on his wrists as he clutched them in the wake of the smash.

With Marquez down and out, Quartararo collected himself to pump in the fast lap he needed to snatch pole position, his jubilant celebrations symptomatic of the significance of the satisfaction of out-foxing the wily Marquez in such a formidable way.

A Yamaha 1-2-3, Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli consolidated the Japanese manufacturer’s superb day to capitalise on Marquez’s issues by locking out the front row.

On row two, Jack Miller flew the flag for Ducati, albeit three tenths down on the Yamaha stronghold ahead of him, while Cal Crutchlow put a difficult morning behind him to qualify fifth having been forced to progress via Q1.

Unable to match his Yamaha counterparts, Valentino Rossi will nonetheless get away from sixth position ahead of Alex Rins and Danilo Petrucci, the latter also coming through Q1.

One of the day’s star performers, Johann Zarco consolidated his direct route through to Q2 in only his second race for LCR Honda with a run to ninth position on the grid, ahead of a disappointing Andrea Dovizioso, the embattled Marquez and the last of the Q2 runners, Pecco Bagnaia.

Malaysian MotoGP Qualifying Results