Dani Pedrosa has taken Pole for the Catalan GP in a bad day for Yamahas and for Marc Márquez. Lorenzo and Petrucci will be next to the local rider on front row.
Q1 session, probably one of the most interesting ones of the season, started with Yamahas, all in Q1, going to the limit since the beginning. Jonas Folger moved up to the lead with a great 1:44.239, followed by Maverick Viñales. It was a little bit more difficult for Johann Zarco and Valentino Rossi, but both of them were able to put themselves on third and fourth. Cal Crutchlow, another candidate to make it to Q2, crashed with one minute to go.
Despite Rossi did a great last lap, he finished 0.040 seconds behind his team mate, who made it to Q2 next to Folger. Bradley Smith didn’t even go on track. Actually, the British rider had had a crash in FP4 and was declared unfit to ride.
In Q2, Marc Márquez has his third crash of the day, on turn 3. Jorge Lorenzo became the leader with a 1:44.201, followed by Dani Pedrosa, who would eventually be the leader. Márquez returned to track with his second bike, but Danilo Petrucci beat his time and he crashed again.
Positions didn’t change anymore and Pedrosa took Pole position with a 1:43.780, followed by Lorenzo and Petrucci. Márquez, Aleix Espargaró and Héctor Barberá will be on second row.