Moto2 Motegi, Qualifying: Seventh pole for Marc Marquez

Marc Marquez took pole position in the Moto2 class Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi. For the Team Catalunya Caixa Repsol driver, this is the seventh pole start of 2011 after those obtained at Silverstone, Mugello, Sachsenring, Brno, Indianapolis and Aragon. An important signal in view of tomorrow's race which will start at 6am Italian time.

In the front row with Marquez will be the Swiss Thomas Luthi (Team Interwetten Paddock), always on the ball at Motegi, and our Andrea Iannone, riding the Suter of the Team Speed ​​Master. The two are separated from the Spaniard by 193 and 356 thousandths.

Bradley Smith also did well, achieving the fourth fastest time on the Tech3 ahead of Team Gresini's Japanese Yuki Takahashi and the Roman Simone Corsi, riding the Ioda Racing FTR. Immediately behind and 696 thousandths behind Marquez is Alex De Angelis from San Marino. The Team JiR rider who cannot count on his work group here, who stayed at home due to fear of radiation, precedes the world championship leader Stefan Bradl.

The German rider seems resigned to losing the lead to Marquez who has been trailing him by just six points since the Aragon race. The son of Helmut, famous driver of the 90s and author of great battles with our Luca Cadalora, must wake up if he doesn't want to throw away a world championship that at Silverstone seemed to already be his.

Dominique Aegerter and our Mattia Pasini close the Top Ten. Simone Corsi's team-mate was followed by the excellent Jordi Torres, replacing the injured Julian Simon riding the Suter of Team Aspar, the Finn Mika Kallio, the Spaniard Aleix Espargarò, our Michele Pirro and the British Scott Redding who pays 1"134 from Marquez.