Marc Marquez demolishes opposition for record Austrian MotoGP pole

MARC MARQUEZ produced a typically masterful one lap performance in qualifying for the 2019 Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring, with a 59th career MotoGP pole position seeing him break Mick Doohan’s all-time record.

Surpassing a marker that has stood for more than two decades, Marquez was untouchable in Q2, his best lap almost half a second clear of second place man Fabio Quartararo. 

It comes just a week after Marquez joined the 50+ club for wins, putting him in league with Valentino Rossi, Giacomo Agostini and Doohan.

Despite feeling his Yamaha M1 isn’t suited to the high-speed Red Bull Ring, Quartararo was an impressive second quickest in what was a tightly packed field behind Marquez.

Indeed, only half a second covered second down to 12th position, with Andrea Dovizioso rounding out the front row for Ducati, ahead of Maverick Vinales, who put himself in range of the leaders despite being overshadowed over a single lap again by Quartararo.

The surprise of the session was Pecco Bagnaia, who having barely registered notable performance in the run up to qualifying, progressed through Q1 before placing his year-old Pramac Ducati into fifth. Similarly, Takaaki Nakagami produced another strong effort to go sixth on the dated LCR Honda.

Alex Rins upheld Suzuki’s sole challenge in seventh place, ahead of Jack Miller, who desoite being overshadowed by Bagnaia had the measure of Danilo Petrucci, whose fall towards the end of the session consigned him to 12th. He starts just behind Cal Crutchlow in ninth, Valentino Rossi in tenth and Pol Espargaro in 11th.