Quartararo breaks lap record on home soil to take French GP pole
LE MANS, France :Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo smashed the lap record in front of a sellout crowd at Le Mans on Saturday as the Frenchman snatched pole position from Ducati's Marc Marquez for the French Grand Prix.
Having broken the lap record at the circuit in Friday's practice, Marquez went even faster early in the second qualifying session to set the tone for Q2.
Quartararo, however, managed to complete one more lap to clock one minute 29.324 seconds as the home crowd erupted and sang "La Marseillaise", the country's national anthem, even as the Frenchman urged them to calm down.
"It was amazing to get this pole position, thanks to all the fans supporting us. It's a really important pole position but we need to get the points later and on Sunday," Quartararo said.
It also marked the first time since his championship-winning season in 2021 that he had clinched back-to-back pole positions having gone fastest at the Spanish Grand Prix.
"Fabio rode in an incredible way, he deserves this pole position in front of his fans. He was doing a superb job in Jerez (at the Spanish Grand Prix) too," Marquez said.
"But I'm happy with my pace and starting on the front row was my main target."
World championship leader Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing was third fastest and his team mate Fermin Aldeguer will start on the second row alongside KTM Tech3's Maverick Vinales and Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
36 minutes ago
- CNA
Fast start fires Leinster to United Rugby Championship title
Three early tries helped Irish side Leinster to a comprehensive 32-7 victory over South Africa's Bulls in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final in Dublin on Saturday and a record-extending ninth title. The hosts were clinical with their early burst as the rain poured down, with number eight Jack Conan, centre Jordie Barrett and flanker Josh van der Flier crossing the line, before Fintan Gunne's late try finished off an outstanding display. The Pretoria-based Bulls have now lost three of the last four URC finals in another major disappointment, even if they were underdogs against a team packed with players in the British & Irish Lions squad travelling to Australia this month. Hooker Akker van der Merwe scored the visitors' only try as Leinster made up in part for their recent shock home semi-final defeat by Northampton Saints in the European Champions Cup. The wining margin was the biggest in a final in the competition's history. "It is a bit of relief, it has been a long time coming to actually win something. Credit to everyone who has put in the work in the last few years," Leinster captain Conan said. "I'm glad we showed up and performed, and silenced a few critics." Conan, who also scored tries in the 2018 and 2021 finals, barged his way over from close range to give his side the perfect start. Scrumhalf Luke McGrath, a late replacement for Jamison Gibson-Park, provided a chip over the Bulls backline and Barrett, in his final appearance before returning to New Zealand, crossed to score. The Bulls looked shell-shocked, but it got worse for them as Van der Flier capitalised on a Leinster driving maul and fell over the tryline to bag his side's third try. The visitors spent much of the next 15 minutes in the Leinster 22, but the home side's excellent defensive wall meant they had nothing to show for it with the score 19-0 at halftime. Flyhalf Sam Prendergast added a penalty early in the second period to extend Leinster's advantage, but the Bulls finally got on the scoreboard after 50 minutes when Van der Merwe muscled his way over the tryline. Leinster regained possession and territory in the next phase, however, and Prendergast extended their lead with a penalty, before replacement Gunne dotted down. "Credit to them, to be fair that first 40 minutes we were under the pump," Bulls coach Jake White said. "One thing Leinster do well is they don't let you chase the game, they are clinical once they get ahead."
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Zverev beats Shelton to set up Stuttgart final with Fritz
STUTTGART, Germany :German top seed Alexander Zverev took out American third seed Ben Shelton with a 7-6(8) 7-6(1) victory in the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open on Saturday to set up a showdown with Taylor Fritz. Zverev and Shelton tested each other in a high-quality encounter before the world number three played a near flawless tiebreak to clinch the match in little over two hours and stretch his career win-loss record over the American to 3-0. The 28-year-old banged down 15 aces, 35 winners and did not face a break point in front of his home crowd to reach his first grasscourt final in eight years. "I'm super happy to be in the final, it's my first grasscourt final since 2017," Zverev said. "It's been eight years. I actually really like playing on the surface. I'm happy to be in the final in Germany again, I'm looking forward to it." Despite the defeat, Shelton will take plenty of positives from the ATP 250 event, with the 22-year-old set to make his top 10 debut in the ATP rankings on Monday. In the first semi-final, Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, sent down 10 aces and 23 winners, winning 86 per cent of his first-serve points to knock out Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger Aliassime 6-4 7-6(5). "The claycourt season wasn't the best for me, so I came here more motivated to start the grass season off well," said Fritz after reaching his first tour-level final since November. "I'm super happy that I've been able to start it off with a final. "I'm locked in and ready to go. Once I start winning a couple of matches on grass and start feeling good, all the other things start clicking for me." The second seed is eyeing a fourth grasscourt title, as he looks to continue to build momentum towards Wimbledon, where the 27-year-old is a twice quarter-finalist.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Federer waves the flag as Porsche takes lead at Le Mans
Swiss tennis great Roger Federer waved the French flag to get the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans underway on Saturday, with Porsche immediately seizing the lead from Cadillac. Cadillac had swept the front row in Thursday's qualifying but any advantage was short-lived as Porsche Penske's Julien Andlauer slipstreamed into the lead from third on the grid before the first chicane on the opening lap. The race at the Sarthe circuit in north-west France features 62 cars shared by 186 drivers from 34 countries and is the fourth round of the World Endurance Championship, with 21 hypercars in the battle for overall victory. Organisers have put the total weekend attendance at more than 300,000 spectators. Ferrari have won the last two editions and will be able to keep the trophy at their Maranello factory if they complete a hat-trick. After a French air force flypast, retired 20-time grand slam winner Federer waved the flag to release the field in a rolling start for a race through the night and into Sunday afternoon.
