The PTT Thailand Grand Prix is set to make history this weekend, with a whole host of records waiting to shattered emphatically. The second ever visit to the Chang International Circuit has provided thrilling action so far and more is certain to come. Get to know all the facts, stats, trivia and insight with 10 crucial things ahead of Sunday action.
1. Despite a crash at the end of Q2, Fabio Quartararo has qualified on pole position for the fourth time in his rookie season, along with Jerez, Catalunya and Assen, setting a new all-time lap record at Buriram to equals Jorge Lorenzo (2008) and Dani Pedrosa (2006), who both also qualified on pole position four times in their rookie season in the MotoGP™ class. Only Marc Marquez did better, with nine poles back in 2013.
2. Aged 20 years and 168 days old, Fabio Quartararo is also the youngest rider to take four pole positions in the premier class of Grand Prix racing, taking the record from Marc Marquez, who was 20 years and 181 days old at Indianapolis in 2013.
3. If Fabio Quartararo wins the race in Thailand (20 years and 169 days old), he will be the second-youngest rider to win a premier class Grand Prix race, behind Marc Marquez, who was 20 years and 63 days old when he won at the Americas GP back in 2013.
4. Maverick Viñales has qualified in second place, which is the eighth time this year he has qualified within the top three (although in Catalunya he was given a 3-place grid penalty and started from sixth).
5. Marc Marquez, who crashed in Q2, has qualified in third place, which is his 13th front row start of the season so far. Marquez, who won last year in Buriram ahead of Dovizioso, must score two or more points more than his Italian rival to take his sixth MotoGP™ world title and eighth overall in Grand Prix racing.
6. With Maverick Viñales, Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, this is the third time this year there are three Yamaha riders within the top four in qualifying, along with Catalunya and San Marino.
7. After passing through Q1, Danilo Petrucci joined Q2 for the first time since Silverstone and qualified in fifth place, which is his best qualifying result since he was third on the grid in Italy earlier this year on his way to winning his only MotoGP™ race so far.
8. Andrea Dovizioso, has qualified in seventh place, which is the seventh time this year he failed to qualify within the first two rows. He crossed the line in second place last year in Thailand; the only time he has lost a last corner battle with Marquez.
9. Valentino Rossi, who started from second last year in Thailand, has qualified ninth place after crashing in Q2, which is the ninth time this year he failed to qualify within the first two rows on the grid.
10. After passing through Q1, Pol Espargaro, who missed the race in Aragon due to a wrist injury, has qualified in 11th place. Espargaro is scheduled to make his 100th start in the premier class on Sunday.