Marquez shatters opposition to take pole in Argentina

Author: Oli Rushby Posted: 18 Apr 2015

Marc Marquez stormed to pole position for the third round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship in Argentina this afternoon, lapping half a second faster than his rivals.

Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro will start from second after an impressive run on the GSX-RR with Andrea Iannone completing the front row.

Bradley Smith and Hector Barbera progressed from Q1 into the final 15-minute shoot-out, but Smith’s Tech 3 teammate wasn’t so fortunate. Unable to string a fast lap together, Pol Espargaro could only manage the eighth fastest time in Q2 placing him 18^th on the grid for tomorrow’s race. Aspar Honda’s Eugene Laverty impressed by setting the fourth fastest time in Q1 to place top open Honda, even out-qualifying Repsol Honda replacement rider Hiroshi Aoyama.

Marquez was untouchable in the Q2 session, consistently lapping faster than his rivals to take pole by a country mile.

Cal Crutchlow leads the second row in fourth ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso. Danilo Petrucci took an impressive seventh ahead of nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi and rookie Maverick Vinales. Bradley Smith secured tenth ahead of Scott Redding and Hector Barbera.

MotoGP Argentina – Qualifying

1. Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda -1’37.802
2. Aleix Espargaro – Ecstar Suzuki – +0.514
3. Andrea Iannone – Ducati Team - +.0.665
4. Cal Crutchlow – CWM LCR Honda - +0.683
5. Jorge Lorenzo – Movistar Yamaha - +0.683
6. Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team - +0.718
7. Danilo Petrucci – Pramac Ducati - +0.984
8. Valentino Rossi – Movistar Yamaha – +1.088
9. Maverick Vinales – Ecstar Suzuki - +1.385
10. Bradley Smith – Monster Tech 3 Yamaha - +1.395
11. Scott Redding – Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Honda - +1.578
12. Hector Barbera – Avintia Racing - +2.724
13. Yonny Hernandez – Pramac Ducati – Q2
14. Eugene Laverty – Aspar Honda – Q2
15. Hiroshi Aoyama – Repsol Honda – Q2
16. Stefan Bradl – Forward Racing Yamaha – Q2
17. Karel Abraham – AB Motoracing – Q2
18. Pol Espargaro – Monster Tech 3 Yamaha- Q2
19. Alvaro Bautista – Aprilia MotoGP - Q2
20. Nicky Hayden – Aspar Honda - Q2
    
    

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