Marc Marquez has qualified on pole position for the 82nd time in his Grand Prix career – the 54th in the premier class (48.6%) – which is one less than Valentino Rossi (55), who is second on the list of riders with most pole positions in the class behind Mick Doohan (58).
This is Marc Marquez’ seventh pole position at Circuit of the Americas in the premier class, equalling the record set by Valentino Rossi in Mugello*. In addition, this is his seventh successive pole position at the track. *since 1974, when pole positions started being officially recorded.
Marquez will be aiming to take his seventh successive premier class win in Austin and equal Valentino Rossi in Mugello, who won from 2002 to 2008. In addition, it would be his 11th successive win in the class in the USA and his 13th including his Moto2 wins at Indiana-polis in 2011 and 2012, equalling the record set by Giacomo Agostini in Finland.
In second place on the grid is Valentino Rossi, who got his best qualifying result since he was also second in Thailand last year. He also started from second in Malaysia after Marc Marquez was given a grid penalty. This is Valentino Rossi's best result in the USA since he was second on the grid in Laguna Seca back in 2009.
Top Independent Team rider Cal Crutchlow completes the front row of the grid for his first front row start since he was second last year at the Dutch TT.
Jack Miller heads the second row of the grid as the highest-placed Ducati rider. This is the third successive time he has qualified on the second row of the grid.
Pol Espargaro has qualified in fifth place on the grid, which is the best qualifying result for a KTM rider in the MotoGP class, beating the sixth place for the Spaniard in Valencia last year and Australia back in 2017.
Maverick Viñales, who started from pole position last year in Austin, starts from sixth, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 11th last year in Malaysia. Viñales crossed the line in second last year at COTA, equalling the best result for a Yamaha rider at the track.
Alex Rins heads the third row on the grid in seventh, which is his best qualifying result since he was the second-fastest qualifier in Valencia last year. He failed to score any point last year, crashing out of the race.
After passing through Q1, Danilo Petrucci has qualified in eighth as the second-placed Ducati rider. He has outqualified his teammate* every year he’s raced at COTA, with the exception of 2017. *It was a one bike team in 2014.
Fabio Quartararo completes the third row of the grid and is the top rookie in qualifying for the third time in a row. Quartararo was on the podium for the first time in his Grand Prix career in Austin, finishing second in the Moto3 race in 2015.
After passing through Q1, Jorge Lorenzo has qualified in 11th following a technical problem, which is his best qualifying result since he joined Honda this year.
Last year’s Moto2 race winner, Francesco Bagnaia, has qualified 12th, which is his best qualifying result since he moved up to MotoGP.
Missing out on a place in Q2, Andrea Dovizioso starts from 13th, which is his worst qualifying result since he was 14th in Jerez back in 2017,