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      Factory Yamaha end four-year wait for a Saturday 1-2

      motogp.com
      https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2021/05/15/factory-yamaha-end-four-year-wait-for-a-saturday-1-2/183321

      For the first time since Mugello 2017, the two factory YZR-M1s spearhead the grid together. What other stats have emerged at Le Mans?

      In a SHARK Grand Prix de France MotoGP™ qualifying session that won’t be forgotten in a hurry, home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) made it three pole positions on the bounce in 2021 – and two in a row at Le Mans. To get yourself warmed up for Sunday’s showdown, take a look at some of the statistics that have emerged after qualifying.

      Fabio Quartararo, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, SHARK Grand Prix de France

      1. Quartararo has qualified on pole for the first time in three successive races since he did it four times in a row from Malaysia 2019 to Andalucia 2020. This is his 13th overall premier class pole, equalling Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi.

      2. In addition, this is Quartararo’s third pole at Le Mans in his Grand Prix career along with last year and in 2015 in Moto3™.

       

      3. This is the third successive premier class pole for a French rider at Le Mans and the fourth overall: Quartararo (2020/2021), Johann Zarco (2018), and Christian Sarron (1987) (since 1974 when pole started to be officially recorded).

      4. Quartararo will be aiming to become the second French rider to win at the French GP in the premier class along with Pierre Monneret in Reims in 1954 (67 years ago on May 30th).

      Fabio Quartararo, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, SHARK Grand Prix de France

      5. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who won the MotoGP™ race at Le Mans in 2017, has qualified second for his best qualifying result since he was also second in Aragon last year. This is the first Yamaha factory team 1-2 in qualifying since Mugello in 2017.

      6. Winner at the Spanish GP, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) has qualified third for his third successive front row start at Le Mans. He will be aiming to become the first Australian to win back-to-back MotoGP™ races since Casey Stoner in 2012 (Jerez and Estoril).

       

      7. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) has qualified fifth as the second Ducati rider, which is the fifth successive time he starts from the front two rows of the grid. He will be aiming to become the fifth different French rider to win in the premier class so far.

      Johann Zarco, Pramac Racing, SHARK Grand Prix de France

      8. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who has won three times in MotoGP™ at Le Mans, has qualified in sixth, equalling his best result since he came back from injury in Portugal earlier this season. This is, however, his worst qualifying in the class at the track.

      9. After passing through Q1, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) joined Q2 for the first time and qualified 11th as the first Aprilia rider for his best qualifying result in MotoGP™.

       

      10. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) has qualified 14th ahead of his teammate Alex Rins in 15th, which is the third successive year that Suzuki riders failed to start from the front four rows of the grid at Le Mans.

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