Quartararo becomes youngest MotoGP pole sitter

PARIS: Frenchman Fabio Quartararo snatched the first MotoGP pole position of his career when he edged Yamaha-SRT teammate Franco Morbidelli at Jerez on Saturday.

At 20 years and 14 days old, Quartararo became the youngest rider ever to take pole in MotoGP, breaking the record held by Marc Marquez who was 20 years and 62 days old when he won pole in the GP of the Americas in 2013.

World champion Marquez was third fastest on Saturday, to complete the front row of the Jerez grid.

“It’s incredible,” said Quartararo who is in his rookie season in the top division of motorcycling. “It was an enormous lap. I was on the limit all the way round. This circuit is fantastic and it’s truly my greatest achievement.”

After three races, Quartararo is 10th in the MotoGP standings. The two young riders on the Yamaha satellite outfit eclipsed their elders on the lead Yamaha team. Spaniard Maverick Vinales qualified fifth, while on the other factory Yamaha, Italian Valentino Rossi who is second in the overall standings, was 13th fastest.