Maverick Vinales' stunning rookie season in Grand Prix racing got even better after the 16 year old beat Nicolas Terol to pole position at Silverstone.
The Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing youngster already has a victory under his belt after snatching the lead from Terol at the final corner at Le Mans and he left it late here too, setting a 2:14.684 with just two minutes to go.
As ever, Terol was the strong favourite going into qualifying and had previously held a one second advantage before Vinales' late flyer. The championship leader set about trying to regain pole on his final run but came up short by 0.036s.
Johann Zarco is well placed to renew hostilities with the Bankia Aspar rider after their controversial battle for the lead in Catalunya. The Frenchman will complete the front row for tomorrow's race although he was half a second shy of the top two in qualifying.
His lap in the final minute knocked his teammate Efren Vazquez off the front row by 18 thousandths of a second but the 24 year old will still line up fourth ahead of Sandro Cortese who, before today, was the only rider to beat Terol in a qualifying session this year.
Hector Faubel put in a last-gasp flyer to take sixth but the second Aspar Aprilia rider had Luis Salon buried in his slipstream and the RW Racing GP man bumped Faubel off the second row almost instantly.
As a result, Faubel will start seventh ahead of Jonas Folger and Alberto Moncayo, with Sergio Gadea put firmly in the shade by his Blusens teammate, qualifying down in tenth.
With just two minutes left on the clock, Danny Kent was staring at a top ten start on the second of the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport entries but the 17 year old was shuffled back to 12th. Danny Webb delivered when it mattered to qualify the Mahindra on the fifth row in 15th.
Harry Stafford and Taylor Mackenzie were 23rd and 26th respectively with John McPhee in 30th place and comfortably inside the 107%, ensuring he will start his home Grand Prix for the first time.
Qualifying Result:
Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Lap Time | Gap |
1 | Maverick Vinales | SPA | Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing | 2:14.684 | |
2 | Nicolas Terol | SPA | Bankia Aspar Team | 2:14.720 | +0.036 |
3 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Avant-AirAsia-Ajo | 2:15.266 | +0.582 |
4 | Efren Vazquez | SPA | Avant-AirAsia-Ajo | 2:15.284 | +0.600 |
5 | Sandro Cortese | GER | Intact-Racing Team Germany | 2:15.589 | +0.905 |
6 | Luis Salom | SPA | RW Racing GP | 2:15.713 | +1.029 |
7 | Hector Faubel | SPA | Bankia Aspar Team | 2:15.747 | +1.063 |
8 | Jonas Folger | GER | Red Bull Ajo MotorSport | 2:16.073 | +1.389 |
9 | Alberto Moncayo | SPA | AndalucÃa Banca Civica | 2:16.250 | +1.566 |
10 | Sergio Gadea | SPA | Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing | 2:16.274 | +1.590 |
11 | Adrian Martin | SPA | Bankia Aspar Team | 2:16.743 | +2.059 |
12 | Danny Kent | GBR | Red Bull Ajo MotorSport | 2:17.038 | +2.354 |
13 | Simone Grotzkyj | ITA | Phonica Racing | 2:17.298 | +2.614 |
14 | Zulfahmi Khairuddin | MAL | AirAsia-Sic-Ajo | 2:17.468 | +2.784 |
15 | Danny Webb | GBR | Mahindra Racing | 2:17.677 | +2.993 |
16 | Jakub Kornfeil | CZE | Ongetta-Centro-Seta | 2:17.751 | +3.067 |
17 | Sturla Fagerhaug | NOR | WTR-Ten10 Racing | 2:17.766 | +3.082 |
18 | Jasper Iwema | NED | Ongetta-Abbink-Metaal | 2:17.784 | +3.100 |
19 | Louis Rossi | FRA | Matteoni Racing | 2:18.001 | +3.317 |
20 | Alexis Masbou | FRA | Caretta Technology | 2:18.076 | +3.392 |
21 | Niklas Ajo | FIN | TT Motion Events Racing | 2:18.259 | +3.575 |
22 | Marcel Schrotter | GER | Mahindra Racing | 2:18.674 | +3.990 |
23 | Harry Stafford | GBR | Ongetta-Centro-Seta | 2:18.906 | +4.222 |
24 | Giulian Pedone | SWI | Phonica Racing | 2:19.421 | +4.737 |
25 | Peter Sebestyen | HUN | Caretta Technology | 2:19.539 | +4.855 |
26 | Taylor Mackenzie | GBR | Phonica Racing | 2:19.619 | +4.935 |
27 | Alessandro Tonucci | ITA | Team Italia FMI | 2:19.875 | +5.191 |
28 | Luigi Morciano | ITA | Team Italia FMI | 2:20.308 | +5.624 |
29 | Joan Perello | SPA | Matteoni Racing | 2:20.879 | +6.195 |
30 | John McPhee | GBR | Racing Steps Foundation KRP | 2:21.235 | +6.551 |
31 | Francesco Mauriello | ITA | WTR-Ten10 Racing | 2:22.012 | +7.328 |
107% Time: 2:24.112 |