Streak ended: HRC handed first pole since Teruel 2020

Nakagami was the last rider to earn pole position for Honda until Pol Espargaro's efforts at Silverstone

It’s been a tough first half of the season for Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and HRC in 2021 but on Saturday at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, it’s the Spaniard who will start the MotoGP™ encounter from pole position. Find out what stats have emerged from qualifying ahead of race day at Silverstone below!

Pol Espargaro, Repsol Honda Team, Monster Energy British Grand Prix

1. Pol Espargaro has qualified on pole position for the third time in MotoGP™ along with Styria and Europe last year, but it’s his first time since joining Honda this year.

2. This is the first MotoGP™ pole for Honda since Takaaki Nakagami’s (LCR Honda Idemitsu) Teruel pole position last year (14 successive races), ending the longest sequence of successive premier class races without pole position for the Japanese manufacturer since they came back to the premier class of Grand Prix racing in 1982.

 

3. In addition, this is Honda’s ninth pole position in MotoGP™ at Silverstone since the circuit returned to the calendar in 2010, and the 12th overall in the premier class.

4. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has qualified third and starts from the front row for the 33rd time, on what is his 45th race in MotoGP™.

Fabio Quartararo, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, Monster Energy British Grand Prix

5. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) has qualified fourth, which is the fourth time over his eight MotoGP™ races that he starts from the front two rows of the grid. He will be aiming to become the first rookie rider to stand on the podium in three successive races since Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2013.

 

6. Marc Marquez has qualified fifth, equalling his best qualifying result since his comeback from injury in Portugal, from Germany – where he went onto win the race – and in Austria.

7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) has qualified sixth, the best qualifying result of an Aprilia rider at Silverstone in the premier class. He will be aiming to give Aprilia their first top five finish since the introduction of MotoGP™ in 2002.

8. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) has qualified eighth, his best qualifying result since he was fourth at the opening race of the season in Qatar. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the 200th time in the premier class on Sunday afternoon.

Valentino Rossi, Petronas Yamaha STR_GBR_2021

9. After passing through Q1 for the second time this season along with the Dutch TT, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) has qualified ninth, which is the first time so far this year he fails to start from the front two rows of the grid.

10. After passing through Q1, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who won the last MotoGP™ race held at Silverstone in 2019, has qualified 10th which is the fifth time so far this year he fails to start from the front three rows. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the first time since the European GP last year when he finished second.

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