Spanish MotoGP Qualifying Results: Quartararo pole, big smash for Rins

Fabio Quartararo is again dominant on the Petronas SRT Yamaha to claim pole position for the 2020 Spanish MotoGP in Jerez as Alex Rins hurt in big crash

Fabio Quartararo - Petronas SRT Yamaha 1200
Fabio Quartararo - Petronas SRT Yamaha 1200

Fabio Quartararo will start the Spanish MotoGP – round one of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship – from pole position after snatching the top spot with another lap record in qualifying at Jerez.

Already hot favourite for pole position after producing a new benchmark in FP3, Quartararo saved his best until last to pump in a 1m 36.705s, which was enough to sneak him ahead of Maverick Vinales in what is a repeat of his maiden pole at the same circuit just over a year ago.

Vinales in second meant Yamaha kicked off its year with a 1-2 on the grid, helped in part by being significantly quicker than any other team through the final sector.

Indeed, Marc Marquez seemed on course for pole as he stretched out a 0.250s advantage into the closing stages of his quickest lap, only to lose it all to leave him third.

Just missing out on what would have been a maiden front row start, Pecco Bagnaia will start an eye-catching fourth from team-mate Jack Miller as Pramac Racing humbled its sister factory Ducati team.

Miller might have stood to do better had he not crashed at Turn 11 on his final lap, though worse was to follow for Alex Rins after he got it wrong into the same turn and faced with a fast approaching Ducati laying on its side was forced to come off the Suzuki.

Though he avoided the bike ahead, Rins suffered a heavy fall and has since ben diagnosed with a fractured shoulder which could keep him out of the race.

Cal Crutchlow will start in sixth place, ahead of top KTM rider Pol Espargaro and Andrea Dovizioso – another rider to fall in the session – while the hapless Rins would start ninth if he can. Unable to match their Yamaha counterparts, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi get away from 10th and 11th with Joan Mir 12th.

Elsewhere, Brad Binder starts his maiden MotoGP race from 13th, faring significantly better than his rookie counterpart Alex Marquez who starts second to last on the Repsol Honda.

Spanish MotoGP Jerez – Qualifying Results 

Spanish MotoGP Results - Free Practice 3
PosRiderNatTeamTime
1Fabio QuartararoFRAPetronas Yamaha SRT1m 36.705
2Maverick ViñalesSPAMonster Energy Yamaha MotoGP1m 36.844
3Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda Team1m 36.962
4Francesco BagnaiaITAPramac Ducati1m 36.955
5Jack MillerAUSPramac Ducati1m 37.453
6Cal CrutchlowGBRLCR Honda1m 37.454
7Pol EspargaroSPARed Bull KTM Factory Racing1m 37.493
8Andrea DoviziosoITADucati Team1m 37.535
9Alex RinsSPATeam Suzuki Ecstar1m 37.636
10Franco MorbidelliITAPetronas Yamaha SRT1m 37.674
11Valentino RossiITAMonster Energy Yamaha MotoGP1m 37.741
12Joan MirESPTeam Suzuki Ecstar1m 37.784
13Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM Factory Racing1m 37.396
14Danilo PetrucciITADucati Team1m 37.423
15Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda1m 37.434
16Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing Team Gresini1m 37.940
17Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM Tech31m 37.964
18Bradley SmithGBRAprilia Racing Team Gresini1m 37.966
19Tito RabatESPReale Avintia Racing Ducati1m 38.029
20Johann ZarcoFRAReale Avintia Racing Ducati1m 38.106
21Alex MarquezESPRepsol Honda Team1m 38.256
22Iker LecuonaESPRed Bull KTM Tech31m 38.512

Sponsored Content