Marquez qualifies on pole at Circuit of the Americas
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez took pole position at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin for the fifth year in a row. -Filepix/Reuters
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez took pole position at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin for the fifth year in a row on Saturday (April 22) with fellow Spaniard and overall leader Maverick Vinales alongside on the front row.
The Honda rider pulled out a rapid last-gasp lap of the Texas track in two minutes 02.741 seconds to deny Vinales, winner of the season's first two races for Yamaha, the top slot by 0.130 of a second.
The two Spaniards were joined on the front of the grid by Italian great Valentino Rossi, Vinales's team mate.
Suzuki rookie Alex Rins will miss Sunday's race after crashing heavily in a cold and cloudy final practice and fracturing his left wrist.
The rider was taken to hospital to stabilise the injury and fix it temporarily with pins before he was cleared to fly home for surgery, which is likely to mean his absence from the next two or three races.
Rins also broke his right ankle in an accident while training on a motocross bike last month.
MotoGP Top Ten Qualifying Results:
1. Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 2:02.741
2. Maverick Vinales (Spain) Yamaha 2:02.871
3. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 2:03.673
4. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 2:03.866
5. Johann Zarco (France) Yamaha 2:03.928
6. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Ducati 2:04.151
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 2:04.431
8. Jonas Folger (Germany) Yamaha 2:04.623
9. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Honda 2:04.661
10. Scott Redding (Britain) Ducati 2:04.673
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