MotoGP 2018: Zarco demolishes lap record to take pole at Le Mans

Home hero Johann Zarco pips Marc Marquez to claim pole position for the French Grand Prix. 

Johann Zarco will be starting from pole position in the French Grand Prix. And to do so, the Tech 3 Yamaha rider shattered all the lap records as he put the fastest ever lap time of the circuit during qualifying today! Zarco will be joined by Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez and Pramac Ducati's Danilo Petrucci on the front row.

It was a given that Zarco would ride the wheels off his satellite Yamaha since it's his home grand prix. And the Frenchman didn't disappoint his fans one bit. Zarco put the hammer down in the closing minutes of qualifying and lapped the circuit in a record time of 1:31.185! Marquez came the closest to challenge him, but even he was not good enough today. Petrucci was the fastest Ducati rider in third, which was impressive since he graduated from Q1.

Andrea Iannone continues to impress on Suzuki as well, since he will be heading the second row tomorrow alongside the factory Ducati riders, Andrea Dovizioso in fifth and Jorge Lorenzo in sixth. 

Jack Miller of Pramac Ducati was seventh fastest, while factory Yamaha boys struggled yet again to make it to the front row - Maverick Vinales was eight and Valentino Rossi was ninth in the qualifying. Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa completed the top ten.