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Vinales Claims First Career Pole at Silverstone

2 Mins read

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 Andalucía 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

 

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