Skip to content

MotoGP: World champion Marc Marquez lands record 13th pole of season in Malaysia

PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 18:  Marc Marquez of Spain celebrates getting pole on his #93 Repsol Honda Team Honda during qualifying for the 2014 Mo
Image: Marc Marquez: The world champion claimed a record 13th pole of the season in Malaysia

Marc Marquez claimed a record 13th MotoGP pole position of the season in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.

The Spaniard, who reclaimed his MotoGP title earlier this month with a second-placed finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, beat Repsol Honda Team team-mate Dani Pedrosa to first place with a time of one minute 59.791 seconds.

Pedrosa, who topped the time sheets during Friday's rain-affected practice session, was 0.182secs adrift in second, while Movistar Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo was a further 0.230s back in third to make it a Spanish top-three.

Lorenzo’s Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi, who is battling the Spaniard for runner-up spot in the championship, could only manage sixth position as Germany's Stefan Bradl and Andrea Dovizioso of Italy qualified fourth and fifth respectively.

Marquez’s latest pole ensured he broke the previous record of 12 front-row starts in a season jointly held by Australians Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner.        

His flying lap towards the end of the session – which came after he fell earlier in the day - also bettered his own mark from qualifying last year of 2 minutes 0.011 seconds.

"In the morning we weren't able to mount the best attack, but I changed to a second bike after the crash and it was much better," the 21-year-old said afterwards.

"Tomorrow won't be easy because Dani was also very fast today, but I'm definitely looking to race in dry conditions. If it rains, then it's a different story."

Around Sky