Maiden pole for Iannone at Mugello as Marquez knocked out in Q1

Author: Oli Rushby Posted: 30 May 2015

Andrea Iannone has taken his maiden MotoGP pole position in a dramatic MotoGP qualifying session which saw Marc Marquez unable to try for pole after being knocked out of qualifying one.

After finishing 11^th in the combined practice times, Marc Marquez was forced into the Q1 session to fight for his place in the shootout for pole. Suzuki’s Aleix Espargaro set the early pace before what looked like cementing his place at the top as the reigning World Champion failed to topple his fellow Spaniard in two attempts.

Thinking he was in a safe second, Marquez entered the pits with two minutes to go, choosing not to go out with new tyres. Then the unthinkable happened, a shock lap from Yonny Hernandez on the Pramac Ducati stormed to the top of the timesheets on his final lap, knocking Marquez out of Q2 with the Spaniard unable to respond.

Lorenzo set the pace from the off, straight into the 1’46 lap bracket ahead of the Honda’s of Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow.

Iannone took over the top spot with two and a half minutes remaining, setting the fastest ever lap of the Mugello circuit with a time of 1’46.489. Dovizioso pushed Lorenzo further back as he took second spot but the Movistar Yamaha man fought back to re-take the spot.

Nobody could touch injured Italian Iannone at the front, whose record lap was enough to secure his first career pole ahead of Lorenzo and Dovizioso.

Cal Crutchlow leads the second row on the LCR Honda ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Ducati test man Michele Pirro. 

Dani Pedrosa sits seventh ahead of Valentino Rossi, who was once again unable to make an impression in the Q2 session with Vinales completing the front row. 

1. Andrea Iannone – Ducati Team – 1’46.489
2. Jorge Lorenzo – Movistar Yamaha – 1’46.584
3. Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – 1’46.610
4. Cal Crutchlow – CWM LCR Honda – 1’46.657
5. Aleix Espargaro – Ecstar Suzuki – 1’46.854
6. Michele Pirro – Ducati Team – 1’46.870
7. Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – 1’46.876
8. Valentino Rossi – Movistar Yamaha – 1’46.923
9. Maverick Vinales – Ecstar Suzuki – 1’46.934
10. Pol Espargaro – Monster Tech 3 Yamaha – 1’47.060
11. Bradley Smith – Monster Tech 3 Yamaha – 1’47.090
12. Yonny Hernandez – Pramac Ducati – 1’47.423
13. Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda – Q1
14. Danilo Petrucci – Pramac Racing – Q1
15. Hector Barbera – Avintia Ducati – Q1
16. Stefan Bradl – Athina Forward Racing – Q1
17. Scott Redding – Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Honda – Q1
18. Loris Baz – Athina Forward Racing – Q1
19. Nicky Hayden – Aspar MotoGP Honda – Q1
20. Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Racing – Q1