Defending world champion Marc Marquez rode his Honda to pole position for Sunday’s British MotoGPat Silverstone on Saturday as he continues his quest to catch championship leaders Jorge Lorenzo of Spain and Italian Valentino Rossi.
The 22-year-old Marquez, who also won the 2013 world title, picks up the 28th pole position of his career with a track record time while Lorenzo on a Yamaha will start from second spot on the grid with fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, on the second Honda, completing the front row.
Marquez smashed his record lap time from 2013 as he blazed around the legendary circuit in 2min 0.234sec under clear skies that made for perfect racing on softer option tyres.
Rossi was fourth fastest and leads the second row alongside Spain’s Pol Espargaro on a Yamaha-Tech3 and British teammate Bradley Smith.
Lorenzo and Rossi top the world standings on 211 points with Marquez on 159 heading into the 12th of 18 races that comprise the 2015 season.
In Moto2 qualifying, British rider Sam Lowes also set a lap record as he raced his Speed Up to pole position in the second category.
Lowes, 24, the Supersport world champion in 2013 was third fastest in qualifying for the third time this season as he outraced Spaniard Alex Rins and Frenchman Johann Zarco, both on Kalex bikes. – Agence France-Presse
