Dovi & Rossi storm past Marquez to take Brno 1-2

2018-08-04 19:42
An Italian 1-2 locks out the top as Marquez is forced to settle for the front row in his 100th premier class start

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) will be starting the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky from pole position – his first since 2016 – as he just edged out an equally incredible lap for compatriot Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) at the Automotodrom Brno, making it 1-2 for the veteran Italians. Reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – who is making his 100th premier class start – completes the front row as the last man able to get into the 1:54 bracket, setting up a tantalising prospect for race day in Czechia.

Everything went down to the wire and on the first run it was advantage Marquez, but Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) soon hit back to pull out exactly half a second. The story was far from over, however, as Marquez was then able to do a 1:54 – the first of the weekend. It looked like it could be a done deal, but a final run for Dovizioso and Rossi saw the two leapfrog the Spaniards in the final seconds of the session. For ‘DesmoDovi’ it’s a stunning 1'54.689, with Rossi 0.267 back but able to edge Marquez – by only 0.005.

Lorenzo heads up the second row after just missing out on that front row, and the number 99 will surely be a threat from there as he remains the man to watch when the lights go out. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) takes fifth and is top Independent Team rider at the venue that hosted his first ever GP win, with Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) taking sixth and bouncing back well despite a technical problem with one of his machines at the end of FP4.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took P7 and leads the charge on Row 3, with the Frenchman joined by both Team Suzuki Ecstar machines. Andrea Iannone just leads teammate and Q1 graduate Alex Rins as they followed up their frontrunning FP4 pace in P8 and P9 respectively in Q2, with Friday’s fastest and 11-time Brno podium finisher Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completing the top ten.

Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) will line up eleventh, with Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) down in P12 after coming through Q1 and then proving unable to replicate his laptime from that session.

Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) is top rookie in P13 after just missing out on Q2, ahead of Alvaro Baustista (Angel Nieto Team) – a Q1 crasher – and Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who completed the top 15 for the Austrian factory.

So that's qualifying done and dusted and race day is set up to be a corker. Three manufacturers on the front row, a whole host of proven Czech GP winners with incredible pace and everything to play for...come back on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +2) as the big show begins at Brno.
MotoGP™ Qualifying Results
1 - Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI 1'54.689
2 - Valentino Rossi (ITA) YAMAHA + 0.267
3 - Marc Marquez (SPA) HONDA +0.272

First Independent Team Rider:
5 - Cal Crutchlow (GBR) HONDA +0.366
Marini marks maiden pole in Czechia


Super Luca! Lights out is gonna find Marini on his maiden pole
Moto2 Front Row
The Italian continues his fine form to take a first career pole position ahead of Marquez and Pasini
After taking his first Moto2™ front row and podium at the German GP, Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) continued his fine form at the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky by securing his maiden Grand Prix pole position, beating Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) by less than two tenths.

It was another intermediate class qualifying session where the early times set proved to be most vital, with Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) and pole man Marini going out in tandem – the latter setting his 2:02.244 on his third flying lap behind the Championship leader, 0.115 ahead of Marquez’ fastest time and 0.173 quicker than Pasini.

After a more difficult Friday on board his KTM, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) equaled his best qualifying result of the season in P4 after a fast opening run in the session. After setting the pace on the opening day, Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) will launch from the middle of the second row in fifth, just 0.003 behind the Portuguese rider. Championship leader Bagnaia played a leading role for Marini, and his own time is good enough for sixth on the grid as the second row is split by just 0.005 seconds.

After finishing FP3 down in 19th, Sachsenring winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) lines up seventh for Sunday’s race, 0.012 ahead of Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) in eighth – the Spaniard was 17th after FP3.

Dominque Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) came from outside the top 20 in the morning to ride to an impressive P9 in qualifying – the Swiss’ best grid slot of the season. After a crash at Turn 6, Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) had to settle for P10 as he aims to bounce back from his Sachsenring crash.

Super Luca spearheads the grid in the Moto2™ class for the first time in his career, but can he hold off the stiff competition on Sunday? Don’t miss the intermediate class race when lights go out in Brno at 11:20 local time (GMT +2).

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