2017 Austin MotoGP Qualifying Results: Marquez Claims 5 of 5 Poles

2017 Austin MotoGP Qualifying Results

Once question loomed heavily ahead of 2017 Austin MotoGP qualifying at Circuit of the Americas: Can Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez achieve a perfect five of five poles?

This question was quickly answered Saturday during the second 15-minute qualifying sessions; the reigning three-time MotoGP Champion wasted no time, and immediately got up to speed.

Marquez, who led two of four free practice sessions, earned the top qualifying spot with a 2:02.741 around the 20-corner COTA circuit. Joining Marquez, who crashed at turn 18 during FP4, on the front row ahead of Sunday’s 21-lap Grand Prix of the Americas are the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP duo of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi, respectively.

When Q2 began, Marquez immediately took the lead, and it became a shootout between him and Vinales, who led all free practices and won the opening rounds at Qatar and Argentina. Vinales took the top time on his final lap, a 2:02.871, but Marquez pushed hard to claim his fifth-straight pole in Texas by a mere 0.130 of a second.

On his final qualifying lap, Rossi dropped Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa from third, claiming the final front-row position with a 2:03.673, The nine-time World Champion finished 0.932 of a second behind Marquez, and 0.193 ahead of Pedrosa.

Joining Pedrosa on row two for Sunday’s GP are Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Johann Zarco and Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo; the five-time World Champion Lorenzo was 1.410 seconds off the pace.

Rounding out the top 10 in 2017 Austin MotoGP Qualifying were Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso (-1.690), Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Jonas Folger (-1.882), LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow (-1.920) and Octo Pramac Racing Ducati’s Scott Redding (-1.932).

These top 10 were the only riders to qualify within two seconds of Marquez; Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone qualified 11th, 3 seconds off the pace, and Marc VDS Honda’s Jack Miller 12th, 3.229 seconds behind.

Crashing out first during Q2 was Miller, who made it to Q2 after leading Q1. Second to crash out was Iannone. Crutchlow also suffered a second crash during Q2 at turn 11, his second of the season.

The showdown between Marquez and Vinales continues tomorrow at 3 p.m. local time for round three of 18.

Can Marquez make it five in a row on US soil?

Photos by Ara Ashjian

2017 Austin MotoGP Qualifying Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap 1 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 2’02.741 2 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2’02.871 3 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 2’03.673 4 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 2’03.866 5 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’03.928 6 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team 2’04.151 7 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 2’04.431 8 FOLGER Jonas 94 GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’04.623 9 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 2’04.661 10 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing 2’04.673 11 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar 2’05.741 12 MILLER Jack 43 AUS Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 2’05.970 13 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing 2’05.221 (Q1) 14 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Reale Avintia Racing 2’05.231 (Q1) 15 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Reale Avintia Racing 2’05.541 (Q1) 16 RABAT Tito 53 SPA Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS 2’05.920 (Q1) 17 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team 2’05.931 (Q1) 18 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2’06.258 (Q1) 19 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team 2’06.295 (Q1) 20 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’07.232 (Q1) 21 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2’07.601 (Q1) 22 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 2’05.468 (FP2)

2017 Austin MotoGP Qualifying Results | Photo Gallery