Marquez Masters Tricky Weather Conditions to Earn Fifth Consecutive Phillip Island Pole
? MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez produced a sizzling performance in tricky weather conditions to claim his fifth successive Pole at the track here on Saturday.
?Phillip Island (Australia), Oct 27 (PTI) MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez produced a sizzling performance in tricky weather conditions to claim his fifth successive Pole at the track here on Saturday.
Marquez thus equalled Casey Stoner's five poles in a row.
Occasional rain, low temperatures and cold wind, made the search for bike setup challenging and the track conditions demanding but Marc was able to choose exactly the best moment to push, and his 1:29:199 lap time proved to be untouchable in the final minutes of the session.
Dani Pedrosa, however, failed to earn a spot in Q2 and will start from the sixth row of the grid in the Australian Grand Prix, which will begin Sunday.
With a 47-point lead in the Constructors Championship and three races remaining in the season, Honda have the chance to clinch their 24th Constructors Title on Saturday.
"Pole position today was quite difficult, and it was especially tricky to understand when it was the right time to push. The light rain that was falling wasn't strong enough to wet the tarmac, but when you see the little drops on your visor and windscreen, things become a bit scary at this track," said Marquez, who wore gloves and boots in Mick Doohan's colors as a tribute to the Aussie legend.
"As soon as I realized that the drizzle had stopped, I did a good lap that was enough to be on pole for tomorrow. At the moment, I'm able to be fast and close to the top riders, but honestly speaking, I'm not feeling as comfortable as I would like.
"We don't know exactly what to expect from tomorrow's race. We saw many crashes and we crashed as well, and the weather is very unpredictable. Tyre choice will be important, as will understanding that it's not an on-off situation—we have the Constructors and Team Championships to think of, and if it's not possible to win, then it's time to look for the podium."
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