Alcañiz (Spain) (AFP)

Marc Marquez was imperial on his home turf on Saturday by getting pole position for the Aragon MotoGP, but Fabio Quartararo was right behind him, with both men chasing their mano mano from the previous week in Misano.

The five-time Spanish world champion has not let anyone steal the spotlight on the Aragon Motorland circuit where he has already won four times, including the last three editions. Currently largely leading the world championship in six events of the end, the Honda driver does not seem to have decided to slow the pace.

"I was expecting maybe a little more" the time achieved in qualifying, however stressed the Spanish champion who did not shoot Saturday as fast as the barrel time taken during the first session of free practice on Friday.

"I chose the best combination of tires for the race" Sunday, he said however, saying he felt "much more relaxed" than Misano.

But, just behind him, it is again the French rookie Fabio Quartararo who points his wheel. After leading most of Misano's previous GP, he had to let Marquez pass on the last lap.

In Aragon, the driver of the SRT team, a satellite of the official Yamaha team, has again advanced the factory machines, whose best representative is Maverick Vinales, 3rd.

"I feel good with the full tank which is not always the case," said the French, suggesting that he could benefit in the first rounds of the race Sunday. But "it will be difficult to beat him," he said at the address of Marquez.

- Broken wrist for Pol Espargaro -

"We have a bit of room for improvement tomorrow," said Maverick Vinales, who finished third in the last two races and currently occupies the 4th position in the championship.

The Spaniard is aiming for a good result in Aragon, especially as the three drivers ahead of him in the championship did not meet with great success on Saturday.

Currently 2nd in the championship, the Italian Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) will start only 10th and his teammate and countryman Danilo Petrucci (third in the championship) 14th. As for Alex Rins (Suzuki) he will be only 12th on the grid and is only 15 points ahead of Vinales in the provisional standings.

But the big losers of the day are Pol Espargaro and his team KTM. The Spaniard fell in the 4th free practice session and broke his wrist. Package for the race Sunday, his participation in the next GP of Thailand could be questioned if he had to be operated.

This would not do the business of the Austrian team that has dismissed the Frenchman Johann Zarco without success and replace him with his test driver Mika Kallio. She could run out of possibilities to find a driver other than Zarco to replace Pol Espargaro.

The brother of the latter, Aleix, on the other hand has done wonders on his Aprilia, usually not used to such a party. He will start 5th Sunday at 13:00 (11:00 GMT), just behind the Australian Jack Miller on the Ducati of the Pramac satellite team and ahead of the Italian veteran Valentino Rossi (Yamaha).

In Moto2 is the current leader of the championship Alex Marquez, Marc's younger brother, who will start on pole in front of his dolphin championship and compatriot Augusto Fernandez. In Moto3, Spaniard Aron Canet, currently 2nd in the championship, will start on pole and will try to catch up on the first, the Italian Lorenzo Dalla Porta only 12th on the grid.

© 2019 AFP