Marquez on Texas pole again

LOS ANGELES — Marc Marquez’s run of dominance in Austin continued Saturday as the red-hot Spaniard put his Honda on pole for the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas. Marquez, fresh off a victory in Argentina, will be hoping to win from pole for the fourth straight year at the Circuit of the Americas in the hills outside the Texas capital. He topped qualifying with a time of 2min 3.188sec. Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, who have had their struggles in Austin since the event began three years ago, grabbed the other two front-row starting spots. “Maybe I didn’t do the perfect lap in qualifying and both Yamahas are closer, but we’ll try to manage as best as possible tomorrow,” Marquez said. Reigning world champion Lorenzo, also of Spain, was second-fastest in qualifying with a time of 2:03.257 and Italy’s Rossi, a nine-time world champion, clocked 2:03.644. Lorenzo set the early pace with a lap of 2:03.613 — fastest of the weekend and his first under 2:04. Marquez promptly answered with his pole-grabbing lap, and after their first runs were complete Lorenzo was the only rider within a second of his compatriot. Lorenzo then produced his 2:03.257 — but could not improve from there. Marquez — whose 2013 victory in Austin at the age of 20 made him the youngest rider to win a MotoGP race — claimed the 60th pole of his career. Lorenzo, who is fourth in the early world championship standings, was delighted to give his rival something to think about. But it remains to be seen if the Yamaha challenge will hold up over the length of the race. Rossi, who was 0.456sec off Marquez’s pace, said the front-row spot is a good start. Fourth-fastest and leading the Ducati charge was Andrea Iannone, but the Italian will start from seventh place on the grid as a result of his attempted last-lap pass in Argentina. — AFP