2018 Valencia MotoGP Saturday Results
Maverick Vinales equaled long-time rival Marc Marquez’s achievement earlier this year, becoming only the second rider to come through from Q1 and then to take pole position. It was his first in over a year, and continues a run of strong form late in the season.
2018 Valencia MotoGP Saturday Results
But in a way Marquez remained the hero of the day.
Fastest in the wet in day one and in the dry in FP4, the Repsol Honda rider was going for his eighth pole of the year and third in a row. But on his first flying lap, he crashed at the first right-hander, and as he rolled through the gravel he dislocated his left shoulder. Again. As had happened several times while training, and most recently at Motegi after he’d won the championship.
In obvious agony, he was scootered back to the truck, the joint was popped back in behind closed doors, and having lost just over six minutes, he was going out on track again … and challenging for pole.
In the end he had to abandon his final bid after a big slide into the first corner. He placed fourth, in the middle of row two. Amazing.
Up ahead, in his first-ever front row, Ecstar Suzuki’s Alex Rins was second, and Dovizioso third, making it Yamaha/Suzuki/Ducati. With earlier pole challenger Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) fourth, and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM) in a year’s best sixth, there were five different marques on the front two rows. Only Aprilia was missing, and Aleix Espargaro wasn’t far away, qualified eighth alongside Ecstar Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone, who was also through from Q1.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) was ninth for his last GP; Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) a disappointed tenth, after a fourth crash of the weekend spoiled his earlier challenge for the front row. Likewise eleventh-placed Johann Zarco, who crashed the Monster Yamaha halfway round a pole-pace lap. Ducati tester Michele Pirro was 12th; Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) best of the rest.
Rossi was unable to get through from Q1, his Movistar Yamaha 16th, behind his protégé, rookie Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Honda).
Vinales was delighted to be back on pole. “It’s been a long time. This weekend I’ve felt great, even in the rain.”
Rins was equally happy “with the first front row of my life”.
Dovizioso pointed out the importance of the front row … not only because it is notoriously difficult to pass at the tight Ricardo Tormo circuit, but also because the forecast for tomorrow is heavy rain, making visibility a major issue if you are not up near the front.
GRAN PREMIO MOTUL DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
MotoGP Qualifying Classification 2018
Cheste, Saturday, November 17, 2018
| 1 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | SPA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 313.7 | 1’31.312 | |
| 2 | 42 | Alex RINS | SPA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 312.0 | 1’31.380 | 0.068 / 0.068 |
| 3 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 318.5 | 1’31.392 | 0.080 / 0.012 |
| 4 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 314.3 | 1’31.414 | 0.102 / 0.022 |
| 5 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 315.9 | 1’31.442 | 0.130 / 0.028 |
| 6 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 315.0 | 1’31.577 | 0.265 / 0.135 |
| 7 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 311.6 | 1’31.629 | 0.317 / 0.052 |
| 8 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 308.2 | 1’31.630 | 0.318 / 0.001 |
| 9 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 314.3 | 1’32.140 | 0.828 / 0.510 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 311.0 | 1’32.145 | 0.833 / 0.005 |
| 11 | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 313.1 | 1’32.179 | 0.867 / 0.034 |
| 12 | 51 | Michele PIRRO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 318.4 | 1’32.310 | 0.998 / 0.131 |
| 3 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 315.4 | 1’31.900 | 0.518 / 0.042 |
| 4 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 307.6 | 1’31.928 | 0.546 / 0.028 |
| 5 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 308.8 | 1’32.385 | 1.003 / 0.457 |
| 6 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 311.7 | 1’32.452 | 1.070 / 0.067 |
| 7 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 308.9 | 1’32.545 | 1.163 / 0.093 |
| 8 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 313.6 | 1’32.547 | 1.165 / 0.002 |
| 9 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 314.3 | 1’32.568 | 1.186 / 0.021 |
| 10 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | GER | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 319.0 | 1’32.708 | 1.326 / 0.140 |
| 11 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 312.1 | 1’32.749 | 1.367 / 0.041 |
| 12 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 309.2 | 1’33.011 | 1.629 / 0.262 |
| 13 | 81 | Jordi TORRES | SPA | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 311.4 | 1’34.427 | 3.045 / 1.416 |
| 14 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 306.7 | 1’35.171 | 3.789 / 0.744 |
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