Marquez shrugs off crash to take pole at wet Australian Grand Prix
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
Oct 24 : Ducati's Marc Marquez swept to a stunning pole position at the Australian MotoGP in a wet and slippery qualifying on Saturday, with championship leader and title rival Jorge Martin finishing fourth-quickest.
The conditions were treacherous at a soggy Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and Marquez crashed early in the second qualifying session as he lost his front and slid off onto the grass.
The defending champion was unscathed, though, and sprinted through the Ducati garage, swapping bikes before laying down a scorching 1:34.203 to clinch his fourth pole of the season.
"I just tried to cover my big mistake! You cannot crash in the first lap, because that means that you don't have a lap time," seven-times MotoGP champion Marquez said.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
"So it was a mistake on that turn four, but the team was ready with the other bike. I kept my focus, I tried to find the same feeling as I had in free practice. The last lap is the one that I did all in, and it was a good lap."
Marquez's brother Alex of Gresini Racing took second, while LCR Honda's Johann Zarco completed the front row.
Frenchman Zarco had come through the first qualifying session earlier on Saturday and capitalised on his knowledge of the shifting conditions.
"It was stressful," Zarco said.
"You think it's raining so you cannot switch to the medium, but then you go out and it is not raining anymore, and with the wind it's getting dry!"
Aprilia's Martin will start from the second row in both Saturday's sprint and Sunday's race, giving Marquez a shot at overtaking him in the standings.
With five rounds remaining in the season, including the Australian MotoGP, just two points separate the top two riders in the championship, with Martin on 355 and Marquez on 353.
Martin's teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who was ninth-quickest in qualifying, is a somewhat distant third on 309.
Earlier on Saturday, Australian rider Jack Miller of Pramac Racing topped the first qualifying session, much to the delight of home fans.
Sunday's race will be MotoGP's last at Phillip Island, with the Australian Grand Prix moving to the streets of Adelaide next year.
Newsletter
Recommended Read
Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read
A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app