2014 Austin MotoGP Qualifying | Marquez Secures Pole with Record Lap

2014 Austin MotoGP Qualifying | Marquez Secures Pole with Record Lap
Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez at COTA

2014 Circuit of the Americas Qualifying Results



So far in 2014 MotoGP, Marc Marquez is unstoppable. The 21-year-old Spaniard won the opening round at Qatar’s Losail from the pole – six weeks after breaking his right leg – and carried this performance into Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.

The Repsol Honda swept all four free practices, and continued the momentum into qualifying . And with a scorching lap of 2:02.886 – a new lap record at the 3.426-mile Texas circuit – Marquez earned the pole.

This was Marquez’s second pole in two of 18 rounds in 2014 MotoGP, and the 11th of his premier-class career. Marquez also took his first premier-class victory during COTA’s debut last season.

The reigning MotoGP Champion will be joined on the front row by teammate Dani Pedrosa and LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl, making for an all-Honda RC213V front-row lineup. Pedrosa trailed Marquez by 0.289 of a second, and Bradl by 0.423 of a second.

As for the second row, it will be filled by all Yamaha YZR-M1 machinery. But it’s not a factory Yamaha on top; it’s an Open-option bike, the NGM Forward Racing Yamaha piloted by Aleix Espargaro.

The Spaniard finished 0.467 off the top time, and just 0.040 ahead of two-time MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo on the Movistar Yamaha MootGP bike. Valentino Rossi was the last to qualify on the second row, the nine-time World Champion finishing a mere 0.001 of a second behind Lorenzo. Rossi was also the final rider to post within a second of Marquez.

Heading up the third row is Ducati Team’s Cal Crutchlow, who was 1.007 seconds back. The Brit will be joined on the third row by his fellow countryman, Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith, and Pramac Racing Ducati’s Andrea Iannone.

On the fourth row will be Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Pol Espargaro, and GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista.

The fastest ‘Open’ Honda rider Scott Redding will start just behind his GO&FUN Honda Gresini teammate Bautista at the head of row five, having missed Q2 by just 0.074s.

As for the Americans, Drive M7 Aspar Honda’s Nicky Hayden qualified 14th, and NGM Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards 19th.

The 23-rider grid returns to the Circuit of the Americas for the race at 3 p.m. ET. Catch all the action live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Photos by Ara Ashjian

2014 Circuit of the Americas Qualifying Results:

1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 332.4 2’02.773
2 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 335.7 2’03.062 0.289 / 0.289
3 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 336.8 2’03.196 0.423 / 0.134
4 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 325.7 2’03.240 0.467 / 0.044
5 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 331.5 2’03.243 0.470 / 0.003
6 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 331.5 2’03.244 0.471 / 0.001
7 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Ducati Team Ducati 330.6 2’03.780 1.007 / 0.536
8 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 330.1 2’03.800 1.027 / 0.020
9 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 336.0 2’03.842 1.069 / 0.042
10 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 333.3 2’03.846 1.073 / 0.004
11 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 334.4 2’03.913 1.140 / 0.067
12 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 336.4 2’03.923 1.150 / 0.010
13 45 Scott REDDING GBR GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 317.3 2’04.617
14 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Drive M7 Aspar Honda 314.7 2’05.062
15 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 326.1 2’05.677
16 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Drive M7 Aspar Honda 322.8 2’05.788
17 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Honda 316.5 2’06.239
18 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Avintia 319.0 2’06.270
19 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 320.6 2’06.741
20 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 312.5 2’06.939
21 23 Broc PARKES AUS Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 304.7 2’07.403
22 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA IodaRacing Project ART 311.6 2’07.745
23 63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Avintia 320.0 2’07.761