Qatar MotoGP: Marquez clinches pole position

Reigning world champion Marc Marquez showed no signs of a broken leg as he set a fastest time of 1’54:507 to take pole position for tomorrow’s opening race.

Marquez will be joined on the front row tomorrow by fellow Spaniard Alvaro Bautista and Brit Bradley Smith.

Aleix Espargaro, who topped all but one of the free practice sessions leading up to qualifying crashed twice during Qualifying 2 and will start from ninth.

Cal Crutchlow will start his first race onboard a Ducati from eighth on the grid. The Brit had to get through Qualifying 1 to secure his place on the grid.

1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 54.507s
2. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 1m 54.564s | +0.057s
3. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 54.601s | +0.094s
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 1m 54.644s | +0.137s
5. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 54.661s | +0.154s
6. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 1m 54.703s | +0.196s
7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 1m 54.871s | +0.364s
8. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 1m 54.888s | +0.381s
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) 1m 54.986s | +0.479s
10. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 1m 55.096s | +0.589s
11. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 1m 55.127s | +0.620s
12. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 1m 55.152s | +0.645s

13. Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 1m 55.894s | +0.488s
14. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) 1m 56.042s | +0.636s
15. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 1m 56.479s | +1.073s
16. Scott Redding GBR Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RCV1000R) 1m 56.555s | +1.149s
17. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 1m 56.648s | +1.242s
18. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RCV1000R) 1m 56.715s | +1.309s
19. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Avintia) 1m 57.006s | +1.600s
20. Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing Project (ART) 1m 57.513s | +2.107s
21. Broc Parkes AUS Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART) 1m 57.574s | +2.168s
22. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing (Avintia) 1m 57.667s | +2.261s
23. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART) 1m 58.254s | +2.848s