LE MANS - Honda's MotoGP champion Marc Marquez scorched to his fifth pole position in five races this year at the French Grand Prix on Saturday. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who also qualified on pole at the last race of 2013 and has won the first four of the year, continued his 100 percent record with a record time of one minute 32.042 seconds at the Le Mans circuit.
Rookie compatriot Pol Espargaro was second fastest for Tech3 Yamaha in their home race with Italian Andrea Dovizioso completing the front row on a Ducati. Two world champions took their places on the second row, with factory Yamaha team mates Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo qualifying fifth and sixth. Germany's Stefan Bradl lines up fourth on a Honda.
Marquez's Spanish team mate Dani Pedrosa, who recently underwent arm surgery, qualified only ninth. Victory on Sunday will make Marquez, already the youngest MotoGP champion, the youngest rider to win five successive races in the premier class. The record was set by Britain's late Mike Hailwood at the age of 22 years and 160 days in the 500cc class in 1962. French Grand Prix promoters also announced on Saturday that they had extended their contract with rights holders Dorna Sports for a further five years to 2021.
German rider Jonas Folger secured the fifth pole position of his career when he was fastest on his Kalex in qualifying for the French Moto2 Grand Prix at Le Mans. The 20-year-old, who is in 11th position in the championship standings, edged out Spanish duo Esteve Rabat and Luis Salom, both also on Kalex bikes.
Efren Vazquez of Spain will start in pole position for Sunday's Moto3 race at the French Grand Prix meeting. Vazquez, third in the world championship standings, steered his Honda to the front of the grid for the fifth race of the season, ahead of championship leader Jack Miller of Australia, on a KTM, and fellow-Spaniard Alex Rins, on another Honda