Repsol Honda rider equals pole position count record in Aragon - six tenths clear and ready for race day

MotoGP standings leader heads grid at #AragonGP, with Maverick Viñales and Jorge Lorenzo also on the front row

The grey of Friday at MotorLand Aragon turned powder blue on Saturday, as qualifying day brought warmer temperatures and shining late September sun for the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon. Q2's pre-session favourite for pole was unquestionably Marc Marquez after the Repsol Honda rider was fastest by some margin in both FP3 and FP4 on ominous form, and the number 93 turned promise into pole position in spectacular style to head the timesheets by an incredible gap of six tenths. Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) complete the front row as MotoGP™ gets back on their home turf.

Marquez: "We've prepared well for the race"

Sixth Pole of the year for the Honda rider, who is not sure about having a dry race on Sunday

FP4 saw PULL&BEAR Aspar rider Yonny Hernandez into the top ten, but the Colombian sadly wasn't able to replicate the performance in Q1 as Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich), Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini duo Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl joined the South American in the battle for graduation to Q2. Petrucci eventually topped the session and Bradl impressed to get an Aprilia through to Q2 for the second successive race - after Bautista managed the same at Misano World Circuit last time out. Alex Lowes (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), replacing injured Bradley Smith for the third time in a row, had a crash in FP3 and subsequently decided to stay off track on Saturday afternoon - with a decision on whether to race left for Sunday morning.

With Q2 underway Marquez hit first, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) slotting into P2 early on and reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) suddenly pulling a laptime out the bag to take a provisional front row. Looking to improve in the second run, Repsol Honda rider Marquez' first flying lap proved to be his fastest - just shy of a 1:46 lap of the 5.1km venue.

Viñales: "I felt confident with the pace"

The Suzuki Ecstar Team rider finished second in Qualifying Practice, more than six tenths behind poleman Marquez

As the second run got underway, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) leapt up into P2 before former teammate Cal Crutchlow then lost his Honda into Turn 1. It was then Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) who moved up into second, as Friday's fastest Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) suffered a crash and saw his session come to an early end.

Lorenzo: "We are struggling with hard tyres"

The Movistar Yamaha Team rider will start from the front row at the #AragonGP

The last minute drama wasn't over there, as Lorenzo again improved his laptime in the final minutes to knock Dovizioso back off the front row, completing the all-Spanish top three on home turf behind Marquez and Viñales.

'DesmoDovi' heads up row two ahead of late crasher Crutchlow, with Movistar Yamaha MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi further down the timesheets in P6 to complete the second row, despite proving fastest Yamaha on Friday.

Pedrosa starts from seventh after his crash - one place higher than his grid position ahead of victory at Misano World Circuit - with second Suzuki rider Aleix Espargaro behind the 'Baby Samurai' in P8. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Yakhnich) just beat teammate Scott Redding to the third row, with the Pramac pair pushing Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) down to P11. Stefan Bradl (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the Q2 graduates in P12.

Racing gets underway at 14:00 local time at MotorLand Aragon, as Marquez prepares to paint the town red - and increase that 43 point lead as the flyways beckon on the road to Valencia.

GRAN PREMIO MOVISTAR DE ARAGÓN Q2 RESULTS:

1 Marc MARQUEZ - Repsol Honda Team - 1'47.117 2 Maverick VIÑALES - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'47.748 + 0.631 3 Jorge LORENZO - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'47.778 + 0.661 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Ducati Team - 1'47.819 + 0.702 5 Cal CRUTCHLOW - LCR Honda - 1'47.843 + 0.726 6 Valentino ROSSI - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'47.951 + 0.834 7 Dani PEDROSA - Repsol Honda Team - 1'48.017 + 0.900 8 Aleix ESPARGARO - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'48.230 + 1.113 9 Danilo PETRUCCI - OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 1'48.236 + 1.119 10 Scott REDDING - OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 1'48.242 + 1.125