Sparks fly as Viñales takes pole after Marquez gets 3-place penalty!

Austin (Texas, US), 22 April 2018: Things got pretty hot in Texas in qualifying for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, with drama first striking as reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took a tumble at Turn 13 and was heading back to the garage on the back of a scooter as his rivals started to threaten his provisional pole. But the number 93 was able to get back out, and set a sixth pole position at the Circuit of the Americas – closely followed by the man who seems set to try and challenge him on Sunday, Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). It wasn’t done there, however…

Viñales, after an impressive show of race pace earlier in the day in FP4, came across a slower-moving Marquez on his first flyer on his second run and was forced to abandon the lap. Nevertheless, the Spaniard set the second quickest lap on a final push – and he’ll be starting from pole.

After the incident between the two men was investigated by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards, Marquez was given a three-place grid penalty and will therefore actually start from fourth.

Front row for Andrea Iannone

Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – another man who has been key competition for Marquez in practice – set the third fastest lap and will be starting from the front row and now second place, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) bumped back onto the front row to make it seven races in the row the Frenchman has lined up there.

The ‘Maniac’, however, was a protagonist of sorts in the drama of the day – it was him Marquez was focused on when the reigning Champion then impeded Viñales, having been looking the wrong way.

Why? “I know a fast rider behind me can improve his laptime, and Iannone yesterday was first,” explained Marquez. “I was looking more for Iannone, and then I didn’t expect Maverick!”

And he was right to look, with Iannone confirming that was the idea: “Every rider tries to do the best for himself. I went out from the pits, I saw Marc, and I know he’s fast so I tried to follow him…and he didn’t want to overtake me…”

As stated, however, the Italian was indeed first on Friday, and led the timesheets into Saturday afternoon. The impressive qualifying – and he did eventually end up just behind Marquez in the session – just adds on the positives, and sets Iannone up for a solid Sunday.

On pace, too, it’s looking rosy for Sunday – but there Iannone errs on the side of caution, saying only that he’ll be pushing.

“At the moment it’s only on paper. For sure I want to be on the podium tomorrow and we need a good result, we’ve worked a lot since last year and step by step we’ve closed the gap. We’ll see tomorrow, but I’ll start with all my energy and push at 150%,” said Iannone.

Valentino Rossi on pace

He had Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) for very close company on the timesheets; the Italian just 0.019 back and now starting fifth, next to Marquez now heading up Row 2. And it was just as tight for sixth and the final spot on the second row, as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) was only another 0.065 in arrears behind the ‘Doctor’. Three men certain to attack right from lights out, with 20 World Championships between them.

“I’m quite satisfied about these two days because I’m always quite fast and I feel good with the bike,” said the number 46. “We worked in a good way. I thought that I had the potential for the front row but maybe I wasn’t fast enough. But anyway, we start from the top five which is ok for the race tomorrow.”

“Now we have to fix some very small details,” concludes the ‘Doctor’, “and we also have to hope that we have some sun and a dry race.”

Cal Crutclow slots in seventh

Championship leader Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took seventh as he aims to keep his points lead on Sunday, and he’s just ahead of the man chasing him in the standings, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – who’s won off the third row before.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completes that star-studded third row. The three-time World Champion is racing only a week and a bit after surgery on a broken wrist sustained in the Argentina GP, and not only gained direct entry to Q2, but took a third row start in another superhuman effort.

Q1 graduate Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), Argentina GP podium finisher Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completed the top twelve – with Espargaro having put in a stunner to come through Q1 and get KTM’s first visit to Q2 this season. Thereafter, however, the KTM rider was also given a three-place grid penalty, meaning Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will start P12.

It’s set up to be a stunner, with Viñales alongside Marquez and Rossi and Zarco gunning from Row 2. Think you can call it in the MotoGP™ League? Iannone already said it on Friday: “Anything is possible!”

Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took pole position in Moto 2 with Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Mattia Passini (Italtrans Racing) completing the front row.

In Moto 3, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) grabbed the pole position ahead of Aaron Canet (Estrella Galica) and John McPhee (CIP – Green Power).

MotoGP™ Qualifying Results
1 – Marc Márquez (SPA) HONDA 2’03.658
2 – Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA + 0.406
3 – Andrea Iannone (ITA) SUZUKI + 0.551
  First Independent Team Rider 
4 – Johann Zarco (FRA) YAMAHA + 0.552