Bengaluru, August 14: Jorge Martin grabbed back-to-back premier class pole positions as the Pramac Racing rider went from Q1 to P1 with a new Red Bull Ring circuit lap record at Spielberg for Sunday's (August 15) Austrian GP.
A scintillating 1:22.643 saw the Spaniard oust 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) on his very last lap by just 0.034sec.
Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team claimed P3 for Sunday's outing.
Austrian
GP:
Zarco
comes
out
swinging
in
Spielberg
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) climbed to P4 on his last lap, but attention then turned to the two Pramac Racing Ducatis -- Johann Zarco and Martin.
The latter was clinging onto the coattails of his team-mate and through Sector 3, the rookie sensation was 0.176sec under Quartararo's time. Zarco took the chequered flag first and moved ahead of Marquez.
😱 @88jorgemartin stuns @FabioQ20 to snatch pole!@PeccoBagnaia completes the front row with a thrilling race in prospect! 🔥#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/R8CvnIFrwz
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 14, 2021
Zarco was smiling back in the garage and will launch from the spearhead of Row 2 in fourth place, the Frenchman is joined by 5th place Marquez and sixth place Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team).
FIM MotoGP world champion Mir lines up in P7, 0.7s away from pole, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Miguel Oliveira complete Row 3.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be hoping to pull another Sunday masterclass out the hat from 10th.
If Saturday is anything to go by, then Sunday's MotoGP encounter is shaping up to be a stunner in the Styrian mountains.
Can Martin make it two poles and as many two wins at the Red Bull Ring?
Find out when Round 11 from Austria gets underway at 2pm local time (5.30pm IST) and the Indian audience can catch all the action live on Eurosport SD/HD channels.
Top
10
Qualifiers:
1.
Jorge
Martin
(Pramac
Racing)
-
1:22.643
2.
Fabio
Quartararo
(Monster
Energy
Yamaha
MotoGP)
+
0.034
3.
Francesco
Bagnaia
(Ducati
Lenovo
Team)
+
0.420
4.
Johann
Zarco
(Pramac
Racing)
+
0.477
5.
Marc
Marquez
(Repsol
Honda
Team)
+
0.584
6.
Jack
Miller
(Ducati
Lenovo
Team)
+
0.677
7.
Joan
Mir
(Team
Suzuki
Ecstar)
+
0.735
8.
Aleix
Espargaro
(Aprilia
Racing
Team
Gresini)
+
0.780
9.
Miguel
Oliveira
(Red
Bull
KTM
Factory
Racing)
+
0.856
10.
Brad
Binder
(Red
Bull
KTM
Factory
Racing)
+
0.925
(By a special arrangement with Dorna Sports)