2017 Austria MotoGP Qualifying Results
All eyes were on Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso ahead of Saturday’s qualifying for Austria MotoGP at Red Bull Ring.
The Italian topped Friday Austria MotoGP practice, and finished second last season during Red Bull Ring’s debut behind former teammate Andrea Iannone.
But Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez is hungry for a fourth-MotoGP title, and carried his momentum from Brno, where he won from pole, into Austria. Marquez dominated Saturday in Austria, leading both free practices ahead of taking pole in the second 15-minute qualifying session.
With rain a constant threat, Marquez claimed his fifth pole of the season, and 70th of his GP career, with a 1:23.235 lap time. To put this into perspective, the Circuit Record Lap set last season by Iannone (then Ducati Team) last season was a 1:24.561.
Joining Marquez on the front row for Sunday’s 28-lap NeroGiardini Motorrad Grand Prix von Osterreich are the Ducati Team duo of Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. Dovi qualified 0.144 of a second behind, and Lorenzo 0.386 back.
Heading up the second row is Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Vinales, who needs a podium finish to keep up his title fight. Joining Vinales on row two are Octo Pramac Racing Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci and Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Johan Zarco.
Despite battling some sickness, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi qualified seventh, just 0.003 of a second ahead of Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa. Taking the final third-row spot was LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow, who was penalized a fast lap due to exceeding track limits.
Last year’s winner while with Ducati, Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone, qualified 10th, ahead of Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing).
The grid returns to the Red Bull Ring Sunday morning for Austria MotoGP, round 11 of 18. The action gets underway at 2 p.m. local time.
