- 2017-05-21
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SPORTS
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ MotoGP Le Mans: Maverick Vinales Takes Pole Position, All-Yamaha Front Row in French GP
The Round 5 on MotoGP 2017, Le Mans Grand Prix Qualifying ran at Le Mans in France on May 20.
Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took pole position for the 2nd time this season and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was 2nd behind his team-mate by 0.106s.
Home hero Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took 2nd in Q2 and advanced to the main session, but finally he was 3rd with 1'32.229s. The result marks all-Yamaha front row start.
LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow will start fourth ahead of stablemate Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who had a low-speed crash at Turn 3 in his first run and ultimately finished 0.449s off the pace set by Vinales.
Jack Miller (MVDS Honda) contested qualifying despite a massive crash in fourth practice, but he was falling at Turn 14 during the main session and having to settle for 11th.
3rd position local hero Johann Zarco said:
“The result is fantastic and I am delighted to qualify on the front row for my home race, even if I didn’t expect it. Before the qualifying, I was a bit nervous because of my fall this morning, but I ran a decent pace in FP4 which gave me my confidence back. Then in Q1, I was able to improve my time in the final run and I went on to finish in P2, which was great. After that, in Qualifying 2, I only had one rear tyre that I could use so I waited for a bit, but I watched the pace of my opponents and this encouraged me because I knew that I could do a good job. Eventually, both sessions went really well for me and now I will enjoy this moment because the fans were superb today and they want a podium tomorrow but so do I. Yet, being fast this afternoon gives me the confidence for this, plus the bike was perfect today and the team did a good job. In the race, I plan to stay with the top guys but you have to be calm in order to be fast here in Le Mans so I need to control my emotions and be strong at the start. Then I will fight and hopefully get a podium and if I achieve this, it will be truly awesome.”
HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France MotoGP Qualifying Results:- Maverick Vinales / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / 1'31.994s
- Valentino Rossi / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / 1'32.100s
- Johann Zarco / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / 1'32.229s
- Cal Crutchlow / LCR Honda / 1'32.300s
- Marc Marquez / Repsol Honda Team / '32.493s
- Andrea Dovizioso / Ducati Team / 1'32.726s
- Scott Redding / Octo Pramac Racing / 1'33.119s
- Pol Espargaro / Red Bull KTM Factory Racing / 1'33.399s
- Karel Abraham / Pull&Bear Aspar Team / '33.517s
- Bradley Smith / Red Bull KTM Factory Racing / 1'33.629s
- Jack Miller / Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS / 1'33.756s
- Loris Baz / Reale Avintia Racing / 1'33.955s
- Dani Pedrosa / Repsol Honda Team / 1'32.415s
- Alvaro Bautista / Pull&Bear Aspar Team / 1'32.484s
- Jonas Folger / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / 1'32.695s
- Jorge Lorenzo / Ducati Team (Desmosedici / 1'32.830s
- Andrea Iannone / Team Suzuki Ecstar / 1'32.844s
- Aleix Espargaro / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 1'33.187s
- Danilo Petrucci / Octo Pramac Racing / 1'33.231s
- Hector Barbera / Reale Avintia Racing / 1'33.233s
- Sam Lowes / Factory Aprilia Gresini / 1'33.817s
- Tito Raba / Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS / 1'33.875s
- Sylvain Guintoli / Team Suzuki Ecstar / 1'34.082s
All photos copyright by MotoGP.- source : MotoGP
