Johann Zarco secured his career's second pole start, having secured his first in 2018 with Tech3 MotoGP: Johann Zarco Takes Surprise Pole Position In Czech GP Avintia Ducati's Johann Zarco pipped compatriot Fabio Quartararo of Petronas Yamaha to set the fastest time of the day at Brno, while Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia secured the best-ever qualifying result for the factory team. Franco Morbidelli topped a frantic MotoGP FP3 ahead of the Czech Grand Prix, with Alex Rins, Andrea Dovizioso and Jack Miller propping up a volatile Q1 group for qualifying.Just 0.257 seconds covered the top 10 at Brno on Saturday morning, with Petronas SRT's Morbidelli edging late-improver Johann Zarco on the Avintia Ducati by 0.016s at the chequered flag.The first real improvement on the combined times from Friday came from Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, who moved up to sixth overall with a 1m56.815s, while LCR's Cal Crutchlow moved up to 10th. Alex Rins on the sister Suzuki was Morbidelli's nearest challenger until the final five minutes, when the SRT rider's mentor and future team-mate Valentino Rossi jumped up the order with a 1m56.336s.A flurry of late flying laps shuffled the order dramatically, with Rossi being shoved to the praecipes just moments after going second.Zarco fired in a 1m56.053s at the death to secure safe passage into Q2 for the first time this season, with Friday pacesetter and championship leader Fabio Quartararo completing the top three. In a shocking turn do events, Avintia Ducati rider Johann Zarco secured a surprise pole position in the Czech Grand Prix at the Brno Circuit. Johann Zarco took a shock MotoGP pole position for Avintia Ducati at the Czech Grand Prix after a late crash for Fabio Quartararo, while Andrea Dovizioso was only 18th. Morbidelli has been one of the few riders this weekend who hasn't looked unsettled over Brno's vicious bumps, with his race pace on Friday one of the strongest.
With 16 minutes to go, Suzuki's Joan Mir took over top spot in FP3 and went fourth overall with a 1m56.565s.But four minutes later Morbidelli smashed the field with best lap of the weekend so far, the Petronas SRT rider firing in a 1m56.037s to go over four tenths clear of the field.
KTM's Pol Espargaro followed the SRT rider late on to jump up to fourth with a 1m56.140s, with Rossi's final effort putting him into a safe fifth. Tech3 KTM's Miguel Oliveira was heading for a Q2 place late when he crashed at the penultimate corner, and ended up 18th as a result. The individual timesheet saw Zarco occupy top spot on his Avintia Ducati with a 1m56.631s, with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro chasing him with a 1m56.728s lap that put him sixth on the combined times. Scott Redding says the Aprilia MotoGP team was like an “empty void” in 2018, two years on from his disastrous final premier-class campaign with the Italian manufacturer. Bradl fills in for Marc Marquez at Honda this weekend as the six-time world champion recovers from his crash in the opening round.Filling in the rest of the grid are Miguel Oliviera on the Tech 3 KTM at P13, ahead of Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller. Fabio Quartararo pipped Petronas Yamaha MotoGP teammate Franco Morbidelli by 0.007 seconds in second practice for the Czech Grand Prix at Brno.
With 16 minutes to go, Suzuki's Joan Mir took over top spot in FP3 and went fourth overall with a 1m56.565s.But four minutes later Morbidelli smashed the field with best lap of the weekend so far, the Petronas SRT rider firing in a 1m56.037s to go over four tenths clear of the field.
KTM's Pol Espargaro followed the SRT rider late on to jump up to fourth with a 1m56.140s, with Rossi's final effort putting him into a safe fifth. Tech3 KTM's Miguel Oliveira was heading for a Q2 place late when he crashed at the penultimate corner, and ended up 18th as a result. The individual timesheet saw Zarco occupy top spot on his Avintia Ducati with a 1m56.631s, with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro chasing him with a 1m56.728s lap that put him sixth on the combined times. Scott Redding says the Aprilia MotoGP team was like an “empty void” in 2018, two years on from his disastrous final premier-class campaign with the Italian manufacturer. Bradl fills in for Marc Marquez at Honda this weekend as the six-time world champion recovers from his crash in the opening round.Filling in the rest of the grid are Miguel Oliviera on the Tech 3 KTM at P13, ahead of Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller. Fabio Quartararo pipped Petronas Yamaha MotoGP teammate Franco Morbidelli by 0.007 seconds in second practice for the Czech Grand Prix at Brno.