Catalunya MotoGP: Pedrosa takes surprise pole

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa claimed a surprise pole position ahead of tomorrow’s MotoGP race at the Catalunya circuit.

Pedrosa’s pole position breaks team-mate Marc Marquez’s run of six previous pole positions. Marquez crashed with less than a minute of the session remaining and will start from the back of the front row in third.

Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo splits the Repsol team-mates in second position.

The second row will comprise of Stefan Bradl, Valentino Rossi and Aleix Espargaro.

Bradley Smith will start from the middle of the third row in eighth.

Brits Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding both missed out on Q2, the pair will start from 13th and 14th respectively.

Alvaro Bautista moved up from Q1 to fight for a higher grid position in Q2 but the Spaniard high-sided himself out of the session early on.

1 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 341.8 1’40.985 
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 339.3 1’41.100 0.115 / 0.115
3 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 343.7 1’41.135 0.150 / 0.035
4 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 343.7 1’41.220 0.235 / 0.085
5 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 342.0 1’41.290 0.305 / 0.070
6 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 334.6 1’41.308 0.323 / 0.018
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 343.0 1’41.337 0.352 / 0.029
8 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 340.9 1’41.491 0.506 / 0.154
9 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 344.7 1’41.671 0.686 / 0.180
10 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 336.4 1’41.677 0.692 / 0.006
11 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 341.8 1’41.751 0.766 / 0.074
12 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 342.2 1’42.024 1.039 / 0.273