Catalunya MotoGP Qualifying Results | Pedrosa on Pole; Marquez Crash

2014 Catalunya MotoGP Qualifying Results

Marc Marquez’s perfect season of pole positions came to an end Saturday at Catalunya in Spain. The 21-year-old Repsol Honda rider suffered his only crash of 2014 MotoGP during his third time run in Qualifying 2.

The reigning MotoGP Champion’s unusual qualifying mistake placed didn’t allow him to put in his usual late-session hot laps, putting an end to his run of seven-consecutive poles since Valencia in 2013.

But things were much different on the other side of the Repsol Honda paddock. Marquez’s teammate Dani Pedrosa was able to put in a lap of 1:40.983 to claim his first pole since last year’s Catalunya Grand Prix. Under extremely hot Barcelona-Catalunya temperatures, Pedrosa’s qualifying lap was 0.090 of a second slower than his 2013 performance.

Joining Pedrosa on the front row is Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo and Marquez, respectively, making for an all-Spanish front row.

“I am very happy to have taken pole position today, in front of my family and the home fans! I am also delighted that, for the first time this year, I felt good on the bike in qualifying,” Pedrosa says.

“I’ll try and get a good start from pole position tomorrow, I am sure that it will be very hot and we will have to manage the tires well during the race, but we will try to do as well as possible!”

Lorenzo didn’t began the 15-minute Qualifying 2 session on top, rather dropping to fourth with five minutes remaining due to an attack by LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl. But on his final lap, the local hero posted time of 1:41.100, finishing just 0.115 of a second behind Pedrosa.

“I made a very good lap, I risked a lot, especially in the braking to make it. Finally we made a good setting for this track, it’s hard because with the track and temperatures it’s hard to make the bike stable,” Lorenzo says.

“Tomorrow we will try to make it even more stable. We hope to remain consistent and strong like in Mugello to fight for the win again. We all hope it doesn’t rain because a wet race would be difficult to judge. It would be great to win, everyone wants to!”

As for Marquez, who chases his seventh-straight win at Catalunya, he lost the front end of his RC213V at turn one, but still had a lap of 1:41.135 to place him third on Sunday’s starting grid; he was 0.150 of a second off Pedrosa’s time.

“Today I made the first mistake of the season, so I need to apologize to the team because it was my fault. The strategy we had set out was coming together perfectly, but when riding with the last tyre I braked too late,” Marquez says.

“I knew it was my last attempt, so I tried to go into the corner anyway. That was not the best choice; I should have written off the lap, but these things happen when you are riding at home; you always try to give a little bit extra. We know for tomorrow that there is no more room for improvement on that corner and that we have a good setup with which to fight for the win.”

Heading up the second row is the German Bradl, who suffered two huge crashes at Mugello. He is joined on row two by Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi, who finished on the podium four times this season, and the man who topped Friday’s practice sessions, NGM Forward Racing’s Aleix Espargaro.

Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso qualified seventh, on top of the third row. The Italian will be joined by Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Bradley Smith and Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati’s Yonny Hernandez.

Round four consists of Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Pol Espargaro, Pramac Racing Ducati’s Andrea Iannone – the final rider to post within a second of Pedrosa – and GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista. The latter two made it into the second qualifying from qualifying 1.

Bautista also suffered a huge high side at turn seven, and was taken off the circuit on the stretcher. But initial reports say the Spaniard sustained minor injuries.

As for the Americans, Drive M7 Aspar’s Nicky Hayden qualified 16th, and NGM Forward Racing’s Colin Edwards 17th.

Live coverage of Catalunya MotoGP – round seven of 18 – begins at 7:30 a.m. ET Sunday, June 15. The broadcast will also feature a reply of Mugello MotoGP.

2014 Catalunya MotoGP Qualifying Results:

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