FIM MotoGP World Championship

Brno, Czech Republic

August 5, 2017

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Session Two:

1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:54.981

2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:55.073

3. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:55.119

4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:55.441

5. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:55.489

6. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:55.552

7. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:55.663

8. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:55.738

9. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:56.027

10. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:56.075

11. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:56.355

12. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:56.624

From Qualifying Session One:

13. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:56.460

14. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 1:56.540

15. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:56.543

16. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:56.685

17. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:56.786

18. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:57.034

19. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:57.042

20. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:57.245

21. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:57.288

22. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:57.465

23. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:57.517

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Miller primed for strong race in Brno

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller will open the second half of the MotoGP season starting 15th on the grid for Sunday’s Czech Republic Grand Prix.

In a fiercely competitive Q1 session in baking hot weather conditions Miller missed progressing to the Q2 session by just one tenth of a second.

Miller’s qualifying time of 1’56.543 was three tenths faster than his best in the morning FP3 session.

The Australian rider is primed for a strong showing in the 22-lap race as he continues his transition back to MotoGP after racing a Honda superbike in the Suzuka Eight-Hours.

The switch back to Michelin tyres and the Honda RC213V MotoGP bike has seen Miller struggle with front-end feel through the fast curves of the stadium section of the 5.4 km Brno Circuit.

Miller missed this race through injury in 2016 and lost crucial dry track set-up time with the wet conditions of Friday morning’s FP1 session.

Track temperatures soared to 48 degrees during a sun soaked qualifying session.

Tito Rabat will start 21st for the tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship. The Spaniard struggled for confidence and his best pace in the hot conditions.

Jack Miller: 15th – 1’56.543

“The fifth row of the grid is not ideal but I’ve started further back and had a strong race so I’m up for the challenge. Just one tenth of a second would have got me into Q2 but that’s racing. My race pace is pretty good and I am just working to get my rhythm back on the MotoGP bike after racing the superbike. It’s good to be back in MotoGP and race day is what counts so I’m looking forward to it.”

Tito Rabat: 21st – 1’57.288

“In FP4 we worked on a set-up using the hard rear tyre because of the hot conditions and this will be valuable information in case the conditions are the same for the race. But then in qualifying I made a small mistake in my first run and could not improve riding alone for my final time attack. So not an easy session but I will be pushing to score points in the race and if the weather is cooler this will be OK for me too.”

Michael Bartholemy – Team Principal

“It is a little disappointing for Jack who missed by one tenth of a second going through into Q2. After his performance in the morning FP3 session it looked like he had the potential to do this. But for sure it has not been easy for Jack to come back to find the rhythm with the Michelin tyre after racing in the Suzuka Eight-Hours. And we know Tito is not at his best riding alone for a fast time so overall not the results we expected.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Determined Zarco to launch from fourth row – Folger ready for the fight

Johann Zarco will leap forward from 10th on the grid after producing a tireless effort in the blazing heat today in the Czech Republic. The rapid French rider completed FP3 in 8th, which secured his participation in QP2 and here, he pushed non-stop before qualifying on the fourth row for tomorrow’s sprint. With his eyes still firmly set on challenging for a top tier finish, he aims to undertake a typically strong start and then join the battle in the leading group.

Meanwhile, Jonas Folger will commence the race from 14th. The German star prepared for the qualifying shootout by notably finishing FP4 in 2nd. However, in Q1, he unfortunately did not see the chequered flag and began his fastest lap, which would have allowed him to progress through to Q2, after the session had ended. Nevertheless, he will begin from the fifth row and aims to undertake a rocket start and then dice for the leading satellite honours.

Johann Zarco

Position: 10th – Time: 1’56.075 – Laps: 7

“Overall the qualifying was a bit tricky but I am ready for anything tomorrow. I was pleased with my lap time in FP3 and happy to be in the top ten which put me through to Q2. Then this afternoon, I felt positive on the bike, and the control was good, but I was missing some drive on the exit of the corner. I was able to follow some riders and the corner entry and speed was positive, yet, there was a bit too much spinning at the exit. Maybe it was too hot, but I wanted to be on the first two rows. However, 10th is not a disaster because the work that we did in FP4 was solid. Here, I was the only rider who stayed on the used tyres, and I could understand a lot of things and create a good feeling in case of a dry race tomorrow. It doesn’t matter what happens with the weather as I will be ready if it rains, because we had a test in the wet on Friday morning. If it is damp, then I know that I will have to get on the pace quickly to be fast in the race. Yet, if it’s dry, I think that, when compared to the guys in front, I can be more consistent after ten laps, even though I was not able to be really fast on a single lap this afternoon. We will have to fight anyway, but I am confident.”

Jonas Folger

Position: 14th – Time: 1’56.540 – Laps: 6

“I am disappointed with today’s result because I was very close to getting into Qualifying 2. At the end of Q1, the last lap that I set was my fastest, but time ran out two seconds before I completed it and I thought I had another lap available because I didn’t see the chequered flag. I went even quicker, yet unfortunately, the session had already finished. This is a shame because our target was to have a strong qualifying today and we couldn’t achieve this, plus we can do much better. Now we have to wait until tomorrow, but we understand that we are quite strong, yet, I don’t feel completely comfortable on the bike, so we need to do a bit of work to find some solutions for the setting. I hope we can make a step, and I will give it everything that I have got.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ TAKES THE SEVENTH BEST TIME IN FREE PRACTICE AND RIDES HIS APRILIA STRAIGHT THROUGH TO Q2, BUT A CRASH STOPS HIM ON THE FOURTH ROW

EIGHTH ROW FOR SAM LOWES

With a brilliant third free practice session in Brno, Aleix Espargaró rode his RS-GP directly through to Q2. He did it with the seventh best time of 1’55.871, just 5 tenths behind the leader, Marquez. This was another top-ten placement that brings the performance of Aleix and his Aprilia closer and closer to that of the top riders. It was the cherry on top of two very positive days of practice where he was consistently among the protagonists.

But in the session that decides the starting grid order, Aleix crashed out right on the final turn of a lap where his time would have placed him somewhere on the front two rows. The crash greatly compromised his position on the grid. He will therefore start from the fourth row with the 11th best time (1’56.355), a time he did on the second lap of the final session, before attempting the decisive time attack.

Sam Lowes also had a crash during qualifying (Q1), so he will have to settle for a spot on the eighth row tomorrow, the result of his 22nd place time (1’57.465).

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“The track was very slippery today due to the high temperature and the imperfect asphalt, a bit like Jerez or Barcelona. Our biggest problem is that when I release the brake, I struggle to find grip on the front. In FP4 we tried a few changes to the geometry, but without finding any benefits. In qualifying I gave 100%. I was finishing a good lap, but I crashed right at the last corner. Despite everything, our pace is good. I think that there is very little difference between the riders from fourth to tenth place and that is a sign that it will be a very hard race. Managing our strategy well will be important tomorrow. If it is a dry race, the final laps on worn tyres will be crucial, whereas if it is wet, anything could happen. Personally, I would prefer the first option, but we did not do too badly with the rain either.”

SAM LOWES

“The first lap in qualifying was rather good. In the second run I crashed as I was improving. Unfortunately, with these track conditions, both Aleix and I struggle to find the right feeling with the front. This evening we’ll talk during the technical briefing and try to find a solution. Tomorrow the forecast calls for a lower temperature and that would be positive for us, whereas if it rains, on one hand I know that I’m fast, but on the other, I would like to achieve a good result in “normal” conditions. The goals is the points zone. We are all very close and my pace was consistent today, so we have good chances of battling for a good position. The foot I injured yesterday limited me a bit this morning, but already in the afternoon, things improved and I don’t think that it will be a big problem tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA BANK FIRST AND THIRD ROW IN BRNO

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi came out swinging on a sunny second day at the Automotodrom Brno, taking second place. Maverick Viñales had a more challenging outing in the Q2 session, but pushed hard to secure seventh position on tomorrow‘s starting grid.

Brno (Czech Republic), 5th August 2017

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi scored a front row position today in a hot qualifying session, ahead of tomorrow‘s Monster Energy Grand Prix Ceské republiky, securing second place. Maverick Viñales was on the pace, but struggled to find those all-important tenths in the second sector, ending the session in seventh position.

Rossi had already shown he was comfortable on his Yamaha YZR-M1 in the morning practice session and felt he was up to the task to challenge his rivals for a position on the front row. The Doctor left pit lane mid-field and quickly found a good place on track to start his first flying lap, claiming fourth on his first attempt. Unable to improve on his second try, he returned to the box with six and a half minutes remaining.

He was pushed down to fifth place, but this was short-lived, as Jorge Lorenzo‘s time was cancelled due to exceeding track limits. One and a half minutes later, Rossi was back out for his second run and, as many riders flashed red sectors, the nine-time World Champion responded brilliantly. He set a 1‘55.073s, 0.092s from pole, on his third time attack, and will start tomorrow’s race from second place on the front row.

Viñales was keen to earn a strong starting position during the 15-minute qualifying heat. He ensured he was one of the last men heading out of pit lane as the session began, to get enough clear space on track to really put the hammer down. His first flying lap had him shoot up directly to sixth place. Though he improved his time on his second hot lap, he dropped to seventh before quickly returning to the box with six minutes on the clock.

The young gun found himself back in sixth place one minute later as he rejoined the track. As many riders put in a fast time, he held ninth place when he put in another solid effort. He bettered his time to 1’55.911s to secure seventh place on the grid for the race, but again wasn’t able to hold the spot and slipped back to eighth. The Spaniard made his final try count as the flag came out. His time dropped to a 1’55.663s with his final push, 0.682s from first, enough to secure seventh position on tomorrow’s grid.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

Starting from first row is always a vital component to having a good race weekend. Valentino was feeling very comfortable on his bike in FP3 and FP4 and he again showed his pace in Q2. His first run was already competitive but, with clear track ahead of him, he really got up to speed on the second outing and came very close to the pole with a 1‘55.073s lap. Maverick made some big changes to his bike, but there’s still some fine-tuning to be done. He had a strong race pace this morning, but there’s room for improvement in the second sector, as seen in this afternoon‘s qualifying session. Though the weather conditions for the race remain a question mark, we will prepare something for tomorrow’s warm up to see if we can gain a few more tenths before we get into the race-mood.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Today I tried to brake later and open the throttle early. I already felt good on the first run, but the first lap is always a bit difficult. I knew I had a good potential and on the second run I was in the right position, with clear track in front, and I rode well. I was able to push without making any mistakes. It‘s a shame for the pole, because we were close, but the second place is a very good result and front row is a good place to start the race from tomorrow.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

It was very difficult in qualifying, because we didn‘t find a good set-up and I couldn‘t make the bike turn the way I wanted it to. We still have time to deeply check the information we collected today and try to prepare a different set-up for tomorrow‘s warm up. I think I can make some steps forward in the race. My race pace is not so bad, but anyway we have to improve.

More, from a press release issued by Octo Pramac Racing:

Petrux fights, overcomes all difficulties and gains a precious P8. Difficult Saturday for Scott in Brno.

The Saturday of qualifying for the Monster Energy Grand Prix Ceské republiky has given to Octo Pramac Racing conflicting emotions. On one side, we saw a great reaction from Petrux that after a difficult FP3, he was able to obtain an optimal result in qualifying. On the other hand, a disappointing performance from Scott, that after the good performances of Friday, could not find the right feeling in order to be competitive during qualifying.

After the fabulous Friday (3th place) Danilo Petrucci was not effective during FP3 and was forced to pass through Q1. Also in FP4, the feeling was not particularly encouraging however; Petrux did not lose the confidence and dominated the Q1. In Q2 the rider from Terni gave the maximum and was able to obtain a good 8th place that means the third row of the start of the #CzechGp.

In addition, Scott did not reply the performance of Friday, also because of an extremely higher temperature. In Q1 the English rider could never find the conditions in order to fight for the qualifying in Q2.

8th – Danilo Petrucci – 1’55.738

“If I have to be honest I am more happy for this eight place rather than the first row in the last 3 Gp’s. This morning we complicated our life during FP3, by trying our new fairing and maybe also by making some mistakes on the set up. During Fp4 the feelings were not good also because the asphalt was very hot. However, in the qualifying we did very well. We remained all focused and things went well. Tomorrow? Hope the temperature is a bit lower”.

23th – Scott Redding – 1’57.517

“I struggled a lot with the front. I’ve never been able to find the right feeling. We have also tried with the hard tire but chattering was to strong. The crash of this morning did not allow me to find the right feeling. It’s a difficult Saturday but the week end is not over. I will start form a very difficult position but the race is tomorrow and I will try to recover some positions”.

.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

   Grand Prix Ceské Republiky

MotoGP 2017 Round 10

Marquez storms to pole in sunny Brno, Pedrosa close on front row

On a sunny and hot second day at Brno, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez claimed a stunning pole position for tomorrow’s Czech Grand Prix, his fourth this season and the 69th of his career.

Dani Pedrosa was a close third, a mere 0.046” behind Valentino Rossi in second and just 0.138” off his teammate.

Both Marc and Dani had already displayed a fast pace in the FP3 session, taking P1 and P2 respectively despite suffering a crash each in the early stages, Marc going down at turn 10 because of an oil spill from another rider’s bike and Dani sliding out at turn 8 while pushing hard.

With the weather forecast a bit uncertain for tomorrow’s 2 p.m. race start, both Marc and Dani are confident that they’ll be ready no matter the conditions.

Marc Marquez 93

POLE POSITION 1’54.981

“I’m very happy with today because I knew that making the pole would be tough, as I normally struggle at this track, but I tried for it anyway. The test we did here was useful. I felt good already with the first tyre, even if I nearly crashed as I was pushing very hard. I tried to ride smoothly but still brake hard. With the second tyre, I gave it all I had and we got this pole. I’m very, very happy. Tomorrow we’ll see what weather conditions we have, as it looks a bit unstable and not as warm. It will be a long, hard race but we should be able to fight for the podium in either the dry or the wet, so we’re looking forward to it and to enjoying the race.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

3RD 1’55.119

“I’m happy today because qualifying went well. I usually struggle a bit in qualifying but today I did four good laps and I really enjoyed myself, as I was able to ride as I like. I’m just over one tenth off of Marc, which is very positive as he’s very strong on pole; it was a fantastic job from my team. Now I just look forward to tomorrow. We have to wait and see what the weather will be like, as that will be a key for the race along with the tyre choice. It should be cooler, so we must be very to the point with the tyre choice and be ready for whatever situation we have to deal with.”

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

  Baz and Barbera ready for the Czech Grand Prix

After a superb start of the weekend yesterday, Reale Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera was confident about getting in Q2 and fighting for the first twelve places of the grid. He pulled all strings and used two soft rear tyres in FP3, but missed out on his goal by fractions of a second. Luckier was his teammate Loris Baz, who clocked tenth fastest in FP3 and went straight to Q2.

With just one soft Michelin rear tyre left for Q1, Barbera had only one shot at getting through to Q2, but his last effort didn’t work out either and he will now start tomorrow’s 22-lap race from the sixth row of the grid in 16th place. Nevertheless, the Spaniard is still confident and he hopes to recover in the race, no matter if the rain forecast is correct or if it will stay dry for the race.

Loris Baz went into Q2 very motivated, but he was not able to string a fast lap together and after two attempts he finished twelfth. Like Barbera, the Frenchman prefers a wet race tomorrow, because both Reale Avintia riders showed on Friday that they can be very competitive in the rain.

Loris Baz | 1’56.624 | P12

“It is always positive to be inside the top 12 and even more when you do it in dry conditions. When you get straight in Q2, it is always easier and although I would like to be one row closer to the front, it was not possible to go faster today. It was too hot and the issues we had in the morning increased with the heat. But anyway I’m happy and I’m looking forward to race. We are not so bad in dry conditions, but obviously I would prefer a wet race. I have very good memories from last year when I finished fourth and I’m highly motivated for the race, as this bike is incredible to ride in wet conditions.”

Hector Barbera | 1’56.685 | P16

“It was a shame, because yesterday we were very strong and today we had the pace a well. In FP4 we were fast and consistent, but we wasted one soft tyre this morning trying to get in Q2. We missed that tyre in the afternoon because we just had one left. Things didn’t work as we expected and the bike had a lot of chatter. But we won’t give up, me and my team are highly motivated and we are determined to start the second half of the season stronger. I’m working had to adapt to this bike and tomorrow we will fight in the race to recover and score good championship points. Our goal will be the top ten in dry conditions, but if it rains, everything can happen. We will see what we can do tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

ONLY SIX THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND KEEP RINS OUT OF THE TOP 12 IN BRNO

Alex Rins: 13th place – 1’56.460 (Q1)

Andrea Iannone: 20th place – 1’57.245 (Q1)

The rookie Alex Rins made very decisive improvements today and was able to score a brilliant 1’56.460, unfortunately not enough for getting into the Q2. He will start the race from the 13th place, missing out by only 0.006s. Andrea Iannone on the other hand suffered some technical problems on the bike during the Q1 that prevented him from improving on the 1’57.245 that gave him 20th place.

The morning session saw both Iannone and Rins work hard to improve on their single lap times in an attempt to get the access to the Q2. Their improvements were positive, although did not allow them to achieve direct access, ending respectively in 12th and 17th position.

The FP4 saw Rins having a consistent and positive pace, while Iannone suffered a crash that took him off one of only two bikes available, due to the impossibility of fixing it in such a short time before the qualifying. His second bike allowed him to end the session, but had a technical issue when he returned at the end of the 30 minutes. The technicians managed to find a solution that seemed to work, but when he came back to the garage after the first run in Q1, the oil leak was again noted. Thereafter the team to decided to stop him for safety reasons. This removed any possibility to take advantage of the fresh tyres or go for the Q2.

The consistent improvements that Alex Rins is making after his comeback paid off in qualifying. Today is very first time he was able to ride in regular dry conditions since the beginning of the season. He improved his lines and achieved a positive 13th position, missing the access to the top 12 by only 0.006s.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“Unfortunately Andrea had very bad luck today: after he crashed in FP4 there was not enough time for the mechanics to fix his machine, then he had some technical issues with his second bike at the end of the FP4. That was an oil leak that we thought could be fixed before the Q1, but then when Andrea came back for a tyre change, we found some more oil leaking and we decided to stop him for safety reasons. It’s a real shame; he was making some improvements and we felt he could be competitive to enter the Q1. We have already identified the problem, so hopefully it won’t be an issue anymore for tomorrow. We’ll exploit the warm up to finalize a good setup that hopefully will allow him to recover some positions. We’re very happy with Alex’s result. He improved a lot and missed the Q2 by only 0.006s. This was his first day in full dry conditions, and he is taking big steps forward considering that he missed nearly half of the championship so far. 13th place is a good position for a positive race, and also considering that his FP4 has been positive as well, he is setting a very good pace.”

Andrea Iannone

“Until this morning things went pretty positively. Yesterday I was able to get a good feeling with the bike and in FP3 I made some improvements. We were pretty confident for FP4 and Q1. In FP4 we tried some different configurations in the setup that gave me further confidence. So I tried to push more, but unfortunately I lost the front in a slow corner and consequently lost the availability of the bike. In Q1 I was pretty confident I could replicate the time scored in the morning and even improve on it, but I couldn’t do it in the first run. Then we had to give up due to a technical problem, which was a minor issue, but it was an oil leak so we preferred not to risk my own safety or to affect the track. It’s a shame because of my position, but my feelings remain positive as I believe we can still make use of more potential from the machine. With a good start and a consistent pace it’s reasonable to aim to the get into the top ten, which would be a good result.”

Alex Rins

“Finally I was able to run a qualifying session in full dry conditions and the truth is that I really enjoyed it. I finished very close to the Q2. Missing it is a shame, but it’s also a positive point as it means I am improving session after session. Indeed, we were able to make a lot of progress here, not just here but also in all of the last races since I got back. Every time I jump on my GSX-RR I learn something new and our performances also improve. I feel totally recovered from my injuries and I’m therefore very confident for tomorrow’s race.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

 Row 2 start for Ducati Team riders in the Czech Grand Prix at Brno – Andrea Dovizioso fourth and Jorge Lorenzo sixth in qualifying

The two Ducati Team riders will start tomorrow’s Czech Grand Prix at the Brno circuit from the second row of the grid. Andrea Dovizioso was fourth quickest in the Q2 qualifying session with a time of 1’55.441, while his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was just a tenth of a second behind in sixth place with a time of 1’55.552.

This morning both Ducati men were placed inside the top 10 at the end of the FP3 session, thus guaranteeing themselves access to the all-important second qualifying session for the first four rows.

The Czech Grand Prix, round 10 of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, will be held over 22 laps and will get underway tomorrow at 1400 CET.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’55.441 (4th)

“I’m very pleased with everything we’ve done this weekend: the track is very difficult but in any case we’ve managed to work well, making progress session after session. We did quite a lot of laps with used tyres in FP4 in the afternoon to try and get ready for the race, and our pace was not bad at all. I think that there are five or six riders with a similar pace and so we’ll probably see some racing in a group. However we’ve really got a good base and I believe we can do a good race tomorrow.”

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’55.552 (6th)

“Today we managed to improve several aspects of the bike and we were able to lap all day in dry conditions to get a better idea of the new fairing. Even though we lose a bit of top speed, I’m still very satisfied with the way it performs: I need more downforce at the front and this new aero package makes me a lot more confident. Despite the fact that they cancelled my first time, we did a good qualifying session, and so on my second run I couldn’t risk as much as I would have liked while trying to go for an even quicker time. The second row is OK for me, but the most important thing is that we have a good race pace, as we did at Jerez. We’ll have to see what the weather is going to be like tomorrow but, even if it were to rain, I think we can fight for the podium.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW DEFIES INJURY TO CLINCH SECOND ROW SPOT IN BRNO

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow rode through the pain barrier to claim a place on the second row for Sunday’s Czech Republic Grand Prix at the Automotodrom Brno. The Briton qualified in fifth position, a performance that was all the more remarkable considering he sustained a serious back injury after an unfortunate fall in the morning free practice session.

Crutchlow went sixth fastest in FP3, but also endured a nasty crash into the trackside air-fence after skidding on fluid that had come from Alvaro Bautista’s Ducati. The LCR man had an initial X-ray at the circuit that proved inconclusive and opted to continue riding, going on to also finish sixth in FP4.

He would go one better in final qualifying as, along with HRC factory riders Marc Marquez (pole position) and Dani Pedrosa (third), he ensured that Honda filled three of the top five spots on the grid. Crutchlow headed straight for hospital after qualifying to get a definitive verdict on his vertebrae injury and was given good news as a scan revealed no fracture, meaning he will be able to line up in Sunday’s race.

Cal Crutchlow – 5th

(1’55.489 – lap 6 of 7)

“I had to qualify, I didn’t feel anything too bad when I was riding. Of course, I had some pain from this morning’s crash, but as we know it was an unfortunate situation as myself and Marc (Marquez) were the next two along when there was something on the track and that meant I crashed at more than 150 kilometres an hour.

“I’m sorry for the team as Marc’s bike had two scratches on it and ours barely had two wheels left on it after the crash! I feel good, in fact I’ve felt great all weekend so far. Yesterday we had some problems with the set up, but I felt we just needed to work in a different area and today I thought we did a really good job.” 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Act 2, scene set: Marquez duels Rossi to take pole at Brno

Repsol Honda front row split by Rossi’s Movistar Yamaha as qualifying sets the scene for a scintillating Czech GP

Reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will have the best seat in the house for the start of the second half of the season, taking a stunning pole position to just edge key title rival Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in qualifying for the Czech GP. Equally close to the top duo is Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who led for the first part of the session before being deposed from provisional pole to P3.

Day 1’s fastest Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) followed up his Friday heroics with another good result in qualifying, gearing up for the Czech GP at the head of the second row in P4. Joining him on Row 2 are Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and the second Ducati of Jorge Lorenzo. Despite an earlier fast lap being disallowed for the ‘Spartan’, he hit back quickly.

Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took P7, and will be looking to move forward quickly to get in the battle with his key rivals for the Championship – with the weather another factor to consider for all those on the grid, as Sunday forecasts remain mixed.

Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) both put together solid laps in Q2 after having moved through from the first qualifying session. The Italian – as he was in Q1 – was just ahead, and the two line up in eighth and ninth respectively. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), after a slightly more challenging weekend for the French rookie so far, completes the top ten.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) suffered a crash towards the end of Q2 to put paid to his final chances, ending the session in eleventh ahead of Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing), who lines up P12 after an impressive performance in FP3 to graduate straight to Q2.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuk Ecstar) just missed out on Q2 by 0.006 and lines up in P13, ahead of a tough result for Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) after the German had been second fastest on Friday. Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) locks out the top fifteen.

Now all that remains is to race, with the lights going out for the tenth battle of the year at 14:00 (GMT +2).

MotoGP Qualifying Results

1 – Marc Márquez (SPA – Honda) 1’54.981

2 – Valentino Rossi (ITA – Yamaha) + 0.092

3 – Dani Pedrosa (SPA – Honda) + 0.138

1st Independent Team Rider:

5 – Cal Crutchlow (GBR – Honda) + 0.508

Pasini bests Oliveira to take first pole since 2007

Mattia Pasini (ITA) will start his 200th GP from pole

Veteran Italian lays down a marker and stays ahead at Brno

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) brought an almost ten year pole position drought to an end in qualifying at Brno, setting a fast lap early on and holding on at the top until the end – meaning he will start his 200th race from P1. Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira took a close second, with Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completing the front row.

Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) kept his impressive pace rolling in qualifying for P4, with fellow rookie Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and FP3’s fastest Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) joining him on Row 2. The 2014 Moto3™ World Champion is returning from injuries sustained in the German GP.

Luca Marini (Forward Racing) had a good session for seventh, ahead of Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) in P8 and Speed Up Racing’s Simone Corsi in ninth. 2016 Moto3™ World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top ten, bouncing back from a tough early season of injury problems and further surgery during the summer break.

Fabio Quartararo (Pons HP 40) had some solid pace in P11, ahead of Championship challenger Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) as the number 12 took P12, leaving him work to do on Sunday.

Khairul Idham Pawi (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) impressed for thirteenth, outpacing veteran teammate Takaaki Nakagami, who lines up fifteenth. Axel Pons (RW Racing GP) split the two Idemitsu Honda Team Asia riders for P14.

The intermediate class get back on track to race at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

1 – Mattia Pasini (ITA – Kalex) 2’02.611

2 – Miguel Oliveira (POR – KTM) + 0.032

3 – Franco Morbidelli (ITA – Kalex) + 0.050

Last chance saloon: Rodrigo takes pole with a one-lap wonder

First ever pole position for Argentinian Gabriel Rodrigo

RBA BOE Racing Team rider goes from gravel trap to parc ferme by virtue of a single fast lap

There had never been a lightweight pole position for an Argentine rider before the Czech GP, but that’s now a stat from the past as Gabriel Rodrigo went from gravel to glory in the space of a lap. Following an early crash in the session, the Argentina rider managed to get back out on track with enough time to push for just a single lap – but he more than made it count, as the one-lap wonder in the final seconds of the session saw him take pole by a tenth and a half.

The man he deposed was Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers), who was second fastest after having proved the pacesetter for much of qualifying, with second RBA BOE Racing rider Juanfran Guevara completing the front row after an emotional rollercoaster QP for the team with a definitively happy ending.

Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) will be launching his hunt for the win from fourth on the second row, ahead of Saturday morning’s fastest Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46). Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is also set up well for Sunday, taking P6 to complete Row 2.

Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate) built on his FP3 to qualify seventh, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Livio Loi (Leopard Racing). Südmetall Schedl GP Racing’s Philipp Oettl completed the top ten.

It was an impressive performance from SIC Racing Team’s Ayumu Sasaki to take eleventh, with Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), QP crasher Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Honda Team Asia) completing the fastest fifteen.

Two frontrunners who suffered in the session were title challenger Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), whose best lap put him P17, and 2016 Brno winner John McPhee (British Talent Team), who faces a fight back from P19.

Now the stage is set, the curtains go up on Sunday at 11:00 (GMT +2).

More, from a press release issued by KTM:

KTM TAKES MOTO3 POLE, MOTO2 FRONT ROW AND HUGE LIFT IN MOTOGP AT CZECH GRAND PRIX

QUALIFYING 10th Rd. MotoGP 2017 – Automotodrom Brno (CZE)

Under sunny skies at Brno in the Czech Republic, KTM have had an excellent day with a pole, a second and huge progress across all three Grand Prix classes. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in MotoGP had Pol Espargaro threaten to go through from Q1 to Q2 in dry conditions for the very first time but a tumble three corners from home meant advancing will have to wait for another race. The Spaniard’s KTM RC16 was within one second of the fastest time in the ultra competitive MotoGP class at this, the fourth longest track of the season, in all three sessions he competed in today. In Moto2 Miguel Oliviera was just 0.032 from pole position as the KTM Moto2 project goes from strength to strength on the day the partnership between KTM and Ajo Motorsport is extended into 2018 and 2019. KTM took pole in the Moto3 and six out of the top ten places with Gabriel Rodrigo in first position and Juanfran Guevara in third as new bodywork and an updated swingarm have been introduced to the KTM RC250 GP.

MotoGP

KTM MotoGP had a very successful test with the KTM RC16 after the last race, spending two days at Aragon with test rider Mika Kallio supporting Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith while KTM Moto2 rider Miguel Oliveira rode a MotoGP bike for the very first time. These test kilometres have been invaluable for KTM here in Brno as Espargaro was within one second of the fastest time in three of the five sessions this weekend. In Qualifying 1 Espargaro was flying with a red/red (fastest) split to put him on course for first position but a spill at the third to last corner meant he had to settle for 8th position in Q1. However, with team mate Smith just 0.008 seconds behind, the atmosphere in the garage is buoyant and positive before tomorrow’s race that may well see wet weather.

Espargaro: “Me and my crew chief Paul (Travathan) talked about the reality of getting through from Q1 to Q2 after this morning’s session. We were there and we knew we could do it, and even though I fell when on the fastest lap of the session at that point, we’ve shown we can do it. The weekend was going so well as we were closer than we expected at this long track that could’ve shown up some of the weak parts of the motorcycle but actually we’ve turned it around and we’ve been really good. We’ve been within one second of the fastest time in both dry free practices today and this is a real high point of the season for us. In qualifying I was on a very hot lap but maybe I over-cooked it, but we were on it to be fastest to the halfway point of the lap. The front was chattering and I lost it on turn 11, the uphill right hander at the bottom of the hill. But don’t forget, with this bike you must play on the limit, but the more you push and the more you risk, the better lap time you get. Overall we are happy as we have a good rhythm. Whatever happens tomorrow I think we are ready, we are enjoying the weekend because for the first time we are confident to be competitive. We tried many things at the Aragon test including testing my riding style but we have new things that are working good and that has shown this weekend.”

Smith: “Overall we have to be happy with our Saturday performance. Yesterday was a little bit of a struggle but certainly we found some good direction today and I’m starting to feel more and more comfortable on the bike as I’ve tried some new WP front forks today. I was pleased with the lap time although it would’ve been nice to see a (1m) 56 but that’s being fussy after doing a 59.3 yesterday, so 2.5 seconds in one day is a great job by the KTM team. In terms of race day tomorrow, the tyre selection is quite clear but of course it’s going to be very weather dependant; it could rain but we’ve ridden in all conditions here this weekend and my wet setting felt good so let’s see what tomorrow brings with a mistake free race to get us to the end.”

Sebastian Risse (Technical Director MotoGP): “I would say we’ve had a very good weekend indeed. We found many things at the Aragon test that we wanted to confirm here and they seem very promising. Pol stayed around one second or less from the top time for most of the weekend which is a big result for us. It was a shame it didn’t quite work out in the qualifying but that’s racing. Tomorrow is the race. With Bradley, we struggled to get back from the summer break initially but he got there today getting closer and closer with qualifying being the best session for him this weekend. Overall I’m very positive technically as this has been a good result for us at this track as when we came here testing last year it was not with 2017 tyres, while the test we had here earlier this year saw slower lap times…but we were on our own in much cooler conditions so we cannot compare things directly to today. What I can say is that’s the fastest KTM to ever lap Brno.”