MotoGP Mugello: Iannone scores Ducati's second pole of 2015

Andrea Iannone took a surprise pole position for home-outfit Ducati for the MotoGP Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on Saturday, setting a new lap record of 1:46.489 in the process.

With Honda out of running for pole position, Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone traded laptimes at the sharp end of the pack, with the latter eventually coming out on top by less than a tenth off a second.

Andrea Dovizioso completed the front row with a lap of 1:46.110, 0.121 seconds down on his teammate. The two Ducati riders, however, must remain wary of a resurgent Lorenzo who came out on top in the last two MotoGP rounds at Le Mans and Jerez.

In stark contrast to Lorenzo, reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is performing at anything but a hundred percent with the Spaniard failing to make it to Q2. Marquez thinking his time was good enough to take him to the second leg of qualifying sat quietly in the Honda garage, while Pramac’s Yonny Hernandez stayed on track. The Colombian went on to set the fastest lap of the session, relegating the defending double world champion into 13th place on the grid.

Back to Q2, Cal Crutchlow was the highest qualified rider astride a Honda bike in fourth, with Aleix Espargaro(Suzuki) and Michele Pirro(Ducati) sharing the second row.

Dani Pedrosa and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi trailed in seventh and eighth places in qualifying but are likely to fare better on Sunday.

MotoGP  Qualifying results - Top 10

1. Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) 1m46.489s
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 146.584s
3. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) 1m46.610s
4. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) 1m 46.657s +0.168s
5. Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki) 1m46.854s
6. Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) 1m46.870s
7. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) 1m46.875s
8. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 1m46.923s
9. Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki)  1m46.934s
10. Pol Espargaro (Yamaha Tech 3) 1m47.050s+.