2018 Qatar MotoGP Saturday Results
A ten-year-old record, set on soft qualifying tyres, went flying in an explosive first qualifying session of the year, with three riders inside the time, and two of them not even in factory teams.
And the best was on a two-year-old non-factory bike.
Johan Zarco made a sensational MotoGP debut here last year, leading the early part of his first big-bike race until he crashed. Now the independent Tech 3 Yamaha rider underlined the growing strength of his challenge with a stunning first pole position of the season.
He not only outclassed defending champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Pramac rider Danilo Petrucci (Ducati GP18). Riding a two-year-old 2016 Yamaha M1, the Frenchman effectively humiliated the factory Movistar Yamaha riders, with Valentino Rossi eighth, in the middle of row three; Maverick Vinales 12th, the slowest rider in the elite Q2 session, having had to fight his way through from Q1.
The top three were all inside the 2008 circuit best lap, set on a Yamaha by Jorge Lorenzo, back when one-lap qualifying tyres were in use. This was in spite of gusty wind, and a layer of sand, leaving visible trails when riders were off line, after a nascent sandstorm earlier in the afternoon.
Zarco’s 1’53.680 was two tenths ahead of Marquez, with Petrucci just another five thousandths slower. The times came at the end of an all-action 15 minutes, with several other candidates for the front row.
One was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), who was knocked from first down to fifth in the middle of row two. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was fourth; Ecstar Suzuki’s Alex Rins sixth
Dani Pedrosa had been another possible, but ended up heading row three, left trailing by seven tenths. Rossi and erstwhile session leader Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati completed the row; Jack Miller and Vinales, both through from Q1, straddled Andrea Iannone’s Suzuki on the fourth row.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) was best of the rest in 13th, with Franco Morbidelli (VDS Honda) one place lower as top rookie, and fellow new boy Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha) a surprise 15th
“I’m very happy. It’s the best way to start the season,” said Zarco, whose only other premier-class pole was at Assen last year. “Yesterday I was having some troubles, but since this morning I got back the feeling I had in the test.”
Marquez was also happy, but apprehensive about tyre wear on the abrasive track. “The first and last laps will be very important,” he said.
Petrucci was expecting a big fight. “Maybe nine riders can be in the top group for the first half of the race.”
2018 Qatar MotoGP Saturday Results
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
MotoGP Qualifying Nr. 2 Classification
Doha, Saturday, March 17, 2018
| 1 | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 337.9 | 1’53.680 | |
| 2 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 341.9 | 1’53.882 | 0.202 / 0.202 |
| 3 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 345.3 | 1’53.887 | 0.207 / 0.005 |
| 4 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 343.6 | 1’54.072 | 0.392 / 0.185 |
| 5 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 344.6 | 1’54.074 | 0.394 / 0.002 |
| 6 | 42 | Alex RINS | SPA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 338.8 | 1’54.339 | 0.659 / 0.265 |
| 7 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 336.7 | 1’54.368 | 0.688 / 0.029 |
| 8 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 334.6 | 1’54.389 | 0.709 / 0.021 |
| 9 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 338.7 | 1’54.431 | 0.751 / 0.042 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 338.8 | 1’54.449 | 0.769 / 0.018 |
| 11 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 335.0 | 1’54.619 | 0.939 / 0.170 |
| 12 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | SPA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 338.9 | 1’54.707 | 1.027 / 0.088 |
| 13 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 332.6 | 1’55.140 | 0.506 / 0.503 |
| 14 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 333.4 | 1’55.169 | 0.535 / 0.029 |
| 15 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 335.4 | 1’55.258 | 0.624 / 0.089 |
| 16 | 53 | Tito RABAT | SPA | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 333.5 | 1’55.273 | 0.639 / 0.015 |
| 17 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 336.4 | 1’55.380 | 0.746 / 0.107 |
| 18 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 332.7 | 1’55.381 | 0.747 / 0.001 |
| 19 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 338.0 | 1’55.392 | 0.758 / 0.011 |
| 20 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 335.7 | 1’55.553 | 0.919 / 0.161 |
| 21 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 338.3 | 1’55.638 | 1.004 / 0.085 |
| 22 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 339.6 | 1’55.706 | 1.072 / 0.068 |
| 23 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 331.1 | 1’56.401 | 1.767 / 0.695 |
| 24 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 337.1 | 1’56.545 | 1.911 / 0.144 |
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