Crutchlow grabs Spanish MotoGP pole; Marquez fifth

Bengaluru, May 5: Non-works LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow smashed lap record to grab the pole position for Sunday's Spanish MotoGP at the famed Jerez circuit.

Honda's Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa, last year's winner from pole in Jerez, was 0.259sec slower, while Tech3 Yamaha's French rider Johann Zarco completed the front row.

Here's the grid for tomorrow's 25 lap #MotoGP race 🏁@calcrutchlow will start from pole!#SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/8WATM1cpik

— MotoGP™🇪🇸🏁 (@MotoGP) May 5, 2018

At the at the newly-resurfaced Circuito de Jerez-Angel Niet, the British rider, who had won the round two of the action-packed FIM MotoGP World Championship in Argentina last month, lapped with a circuit record time of one minute 37.653sec on a sunny afternoon.

"It's nice to get a pole, sure," Crutchlow said, who had dominated the practice sessions and switched bikes during the qualifying session.

"But we're here to race and the key point is tomorrow.

"I had a bad qualifying in Texas and Argentina so it's nice to make up for one and get a front row for my team and Honda in Jerez," he said, adding that the conditions were not the best for his bike.

It was Crutchlow's first pole since the 2016 British GP.

Reigning champion Marc Marquez qualified fifth for Honda, behind compatriot Jorge Lorenzo, whose Italian Ducati team-mate and championship leader Andrea Dovizioso, a point ahead of Marquez, was eighth.

It was a tense final shootout at the end of the session, and many eyes were on Marquez as the number 93 pushed and consistently lit up the first sectors red - and then just lost out before the line.

Unable to improve on his initial fast lap, the six-time world champion was pushed off the front row and then down to fifth as Lorenzo - the previous pole lap record holder - lit it up to take fourth and head up Row 2 at the venue at which he took his first podium for Ducati.

It's a big leap forward after a tough start to the season, with the five-time world champion consistently the quickest Borgo Panigale machine for much of the weekend and only 0.013s off the front row.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and teammate Andrea Iannone, after topping FP4 in reverse order, line up sixth and seventh respectively.

It was a more difficult day for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, however. Valentino Rossi will line up tenth after just edging out his teammate by 0.014, with Maverick Vinales therefore lining up P11.

(With MotoGP inputs)

The race starts at 2pm local time (5.30pm IST)

Live on SONY Network