Fabio Quartararo takes a stunning pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of the penultimate round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship.
Quartararo was forced to play Marc Marquez‘s mind games in the early part of the Qualifying 2 session, but that never fazed the Frenchman, who traded fastest times with fellow Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales.
Marquez followed Quartararo into the pitlane and rejoined the circuit once again on the rear tyre of the Petronas Yamaha, but a cold tyre turn 2 highside for Marquez ended his chance for pole.
Maverick Vinales had provisional pole position but it was Franco Morbidelli who stole it from the Spaniard with another record-breaking lap time.
That was until Monster Energy Yamaha‘s Vinales retook the provisional pole position, before Morbidelli’s teammate Fabio Quartararo toppled his fellow Yamaha man by +0.103s despite losing the front at the final corner.
Quartararo lines up on pole position for the sixth time this year, as the Frenchman heads an all Yamaha front row.
Jack Miller heads row two ahead of second-place finisher last time out Cal Crutchlow, who lead the charge into Q2 by topping the first 15-minute session. Valentino Rossi rounds off the second row.
Alex Rins heads the third row ahead of leading Ducati and the second rider to make it into Q2 from Q1, Danilo Petrucci. LCR Honda Idemitsu‘s Johann Zarco completes the third row, taking his best qualifying position onboard the Honda.
The battle for the team championship gets better, with Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Marquez stuck on row four, joined by Pramac Ducati‘s Francesco Bagnaia, who suffered a heavy crash in Free Practice 4.
Joan Mir missed out on a spot in Q2 by just +0.038s and will line up in 13th place ahead of the Espargaro brothers, Aleix Espargaro leading brother Pol.
The sole remaining Avintia Ducati rider Karel Abraham heads row six ahead of the stand-out performer from Australia Andrea Iannone (17th) and second Repsol Honda rider Jorge Lorenzo (18th), who also suffered a fall in the earlier Free Practice 4 session.
Mika Kallio and home rider Hafizh Syahrin complete the grid ahead of the penultimate round of the season.
(Credit: MotoGP.com)
There is no news as of yet on the condition of Marc Marquez after his turn 2 highside but is currently undergoing medical checks in the medical centre. Keep it Checkered Flag for more news.
Ahead of their home round, for the fourth time this season, Petronas Yamaha has two riders on the front row and look good for tomorrow’s race.
Can Fabio Quartararo convert pole position into his long-awaited debut win, at his teams home circuit?
Lights out for the MotoGP race is tomorrow at 07:00. (UK time).
