The battle for the MotoGP world championship could be a midfield contest in Sunday’s Valencian Grand Prix.
Franco Morbidelli took pole with a 1:30.191 in a dramatic ending to the qualifying session.
Binder quick, but not quick enough
With three minutes to go in the session South Africa’s Brad Binder was sitting in pole position with MotoGP title contender Fabio Quartararo in second but hard-charging Yamaha’s and Ducati’s pushed them down the field in a frantic finish.
Joan Mir and Quartararo didn’t make the most of Alex Rins’ failure to make it into the final qualifying ending up 11th and 12th on the grid but the three men being bunched together will make the championship battle very interesting.
Binder will have an advantage over fellow rookie Alex Marquez, who came off his bike with a spectacular high-side landing on his tailbone. Marquez will start from 20th while Binder is on the third row of the grid. Binder topped Q1 but used up his soft rear tyres before track conditions were ideal.
A storming finish to the session from Jack Miller, put the Australian Ducati rider on the front row of the grid while LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami completes the front row.
Johann Zarco, Pol Espargaro and Maverick Viñales make up the second two with each of them having briefly gone fastest in qualifying.
MotoGP qualifying – Valencian Grand Prix
| VALENCIA MOTOGP – FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS | |||
| POS | RIDER | NAT | TEAM |
| 1 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 2 | Jack Miller | AUS | Pramac Ducati (GP20) |
| 3 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
| 4 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Reale Avintia Ducati (GP19) |
| 5 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) |
| 6 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 7 | Aleix Espargaro | ITA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) |
| 8 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Pramac Ducati (GP20) |
| 9 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) |
| 10 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) |
| 11 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 12 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 13 | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
| 14 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 15 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | Ducati Team (GP20) |
| 16 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 17 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | Ducati Team (GP20) |
| 18 | Stefan Bradl | GER | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
| 19 | Tito Rabat | SPA | Reale Avintia Ducati (GP19) |
| 20 | Alex Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
| 21 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) |
* Rookie.
Official Valencia MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda1m 31.116s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha1m 29.401s (2016)
