Article Author:
Reuters
Pramac Ducati's Johann Zarco smashed the lap record at the Silverstone circuit on Saturday to claim pole position at the British Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Aleix his Espargaro finished 6th after a massive collision on the high side earlier in the day.
Eight riders beat Marc Márquez's old lap record of 1:59.936 set by Honda riders in 2019, while Zarco's 1:57.767 under the wall of 1:58. He beat Aprilia's Maverick Vinales by 0.098 seconds to take the lead to record his first win in the premier class.
Ducati's Jack Miller finished on the front row, beating Yamaha's reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo by just 0.007 seconds.
"I'm very happy. I was confident in FP4 on the hard rear tyre," said Zarco, who was fastest in the previous final practice session. On the lap, I felt 58.4 was coming:
“I needed an extra push on the second tire and I am very happy to have done it…no one was slowing down on the track and There were only a few riders ahead of me, which was enough to give me this extra motivation.”
Vinales' teammate Espargaro crashed on a farm curve in FP4 He was then pulled off the track on a stretcher and given a medical an hour before the start of Q2.
Espargaro, despite a bruised right leg, was immediately declared fit to ride and returned to Q2, finishing the first new race of the day in 1:57.966. I made a lap record and got a provisional pole.
However, after title rival and championship leader Quartararo briefly took pole position, Miller took it away and Zarco eventually swung from Vinales before turning steering. , eventually returning to his sixth place.
Quartararo is pushed back to his second row and starts in fourth place. Sunday's long lap penalty will have to be overcome to secure a second consecutive victory at the British Grand Prix.
Espargaro is heading into his first race since his midsommar break, trailing Quartararo by 21 points, with Zarco a further 37 points behind him in third.
Francesco Bagnaia will start in his fifth position, eight points behind Zarco. VR46 Racing his team newcomer Marco with his Bezzecchi in seventh and Enea Bastianini in eighth. (Reporting by Hritika Sharma of Her in Hyderabad; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
