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Qualifying report

Australian MotoGP: Top 5 quotes after qualifying

Marc Marquez delivered another good performance in this afternoon’s qualifying session at Phillip Island, taking his 37th pole in MotoGP and the 65th in his career.

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Polesitter Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, second place Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Polesitter Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, second place Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda, third place Pol Espargaro, Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Second place qualifying for  Cal Crutchlow, Team LCR Honda
Polesitter Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team, third place Pol Espargaro, Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Pol Espargaro, Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Aleix Espargaro, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Aleix Espargaro, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Jack Miller, Marc VDS
ClaDriverBikeTimeGap
1 Marc Marquez Honda 1'30.189  
“I’m happy because, in addition to the pole, I was able to put in five laps and I noticed some things we can improve tomorrow. For example, we can get more grip, especially with the rear and on corner entry. In FP4, in the wet, I felt very comfortable, so this weekend we’re getting things right and we have to maintain this dynamic. Tomorrow’s race is still an unknown because we aren’t sure what tyres we’ll use, nor who our rivals will be, but we’ll try to make the best of any situation we find. All the best to my brother Alex who’s going to Melbourne hospital for a medical check after crashing in the Moto2 qualifying. Hopefully it’s nothing serious”
2 Cal Crutchlow Honda 1'30.981 0.792
“I thought that I would set a benchmark time with intermediates first, then I could at least come in at the end and do a faster lap with the slick tyre. I knew that I couldn’t change to a front slick because it wasn’t ready in my second bike. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really working as well as it might, and it was my own mistake because I should have gone out with the slicks and followed my gut instinct at the start of the session. It’s not normally like me, I’m normally the one who will go out on slicks first, but I’m happy enough. The LCR Honda Team have done a great job this weekend and worked so hard to make all the changes. It’s not been an easy weekend for anyone with the cold and rain, and we need to appreciate the support the fans have give in those conditions too! I hope we are able to put on a good show for them all tomorrow.”
3 Pol Espargaro Yamaha 1'31.107 0.918
"I am very happy with the qualifying result and it is a great feeling, but also a little bit strange to know that I will start on the front row! This weekend has not been easy with regards to the weather, but we always have to expect it to be like this here at Phillip Island. However, in qualifying, we were lucky because it didn’t rain and we were fast straight away. For sure, it’s risky to go out on slicks whilst the sky is dark and it looks like it could rain at any moment, but at the end of the day, we made the right choice at the right time and we got the front row. Of course, this does not mean that we will automatically finish in the top five tomorrow and I expect a tough fight, but today’s result is positive for us, the team and the sponsors. We did a good job and now we will have to see what we can do in the dry conditions tomorrow. We have only ridden a handful of laps in the dry, so it is really useful that the warm up has been extended, but anyway, I am delighted with today’s performance and I look forward to the race.."
4 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki 1'31.673 1.484
“I’m very happy for this classification, the day had been very hard and was not easy at all to interpret the track. Also, I needed a bit of luck, but I could find the good spot to stay in the track and score a good time to get into the Q2. Then in qualifying I tried to give all my best, we ran with the intermediate tyre and I could be fast, then when I got back for the tyre change it was too late for changing both tyres; I went only for the rear slick and could improve, but not enough. Tomorrow it’s going to be a crazy race, neither we or others have references as we haven’t had one complete session with consistent conditions. I’ll try to attack at the very beginning and stay up with leaders, although the real race will probably start around lap 15, with the tyre drop and a more defined situation with pace.”
5 Jack Miller Honda 1'31.754 1.565
"It’s a good starting position but I’m not totally satisfied because I could have done a better time if I had not run onto the kerb on the exit of the final corner. There was some water there and I had a lot of wheelspin and lost a lot of time. But I feel good for my home race, I’m starting a lot closer to the front than I usually do. The weather is always unpredictable so you can’t believe the forecast of a dry race but I’m ready for anything. Wait and see.”

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