Sachsenring (Germany) (AFP)

The Franco-French duel continues but the roles are reversed: Johann Zarco, 2nd in the world championship, will start for the first time this season in pole position ahead of the leader Fabio Quartararo, at the German Grand Prix.

Zarco has never been so close to a first victory in the premier class.

The Frenchman took 2nd place four times, in seven rounds.

For the 8th, Sunday at 2:00 p.m., he was ideally placed to, finally, at 30, climb to the top step of the podium.

It is the 6th pole in the premier class and the first this season for Zarco, who set the best time before falling in a spectacular but not serious way.

Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) will complete the first row.

Before this 8th round, Zarco is 14 points behind Quartararo in the world rankings.

The Ducati-Pramac rider, double Moto2 world champion (2015, 2016), confirms weekend after weekend his ambitions and pushes his young compatriot, 22, to his limits.

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"The tour was nickel. (...) Everything worked, suddenly a good position for Veronika's birthday, kisses darling!", Responded to the microphone of Canal + Johann Zarco, dedicating his performance to his companion.

"We've been in a bit of trouble since the start of the weekend, but I did my best and I'm finally happy, we have a good pace, we'll see tomorrow," said Quartararo, deprived of a 6th pole position in a row by his compatriot.

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The two Frenchmen will also have to be wary of the six-time world champion Marc Marquez (Honda), qualified in 5th place, his best result this season.

The Spaniard is still recovering after a long absence due to injury but he remains on ten victories in Germany, where the race was canceled in 2020 due to a pandemic.

From 2010 to 2012 in lower categories and since 2013 in MotoGP, the 28-year-old Spaniard is undefeated on the Sachsenring circuit.

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He will be supervised on the 2nd row by the Australian Jack Miller (Ducati), 3rd in the championship, and by the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (KTM), winner of the last Grand Prix in Catalonia.

Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac), Pol Espargaro (Honda), Takaaki Nakagami (Honda-LCR) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), complete the Top 10 of the grid.

The veteran of the discipline Valentino Rossi (Yamaha-SRT), 42, will once again start far from the leaders, in 16th place.

Several leading riders will also start far behind: the Spanish defending champion Joan Mir (Suzuki), 5th in the championship, will be 17th, ahead of Italian vice-world champion Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha-SRT), 18th.

Worse still, the Spaniard Maverick Vinales, Quartararo's teammate at Yamaha, will start 21st out of 22.

In Moto2, the Spaniard Raul Fernandez continues his excellent first season by signing a third pole.

With two victories already, he is second in the championship behind Remy Gardner.

In Moto3, the Czech Filip Salac, 19, took pole for the first time in his career.

Leader Pedro Acosta will start 13th.

French debutant Lorenzo Fellon, 16, will start in second row, 6th.

His best result, by far, in qualifying.

On Friday, a ceremony was held in tribute to Swiss driver Jason Dupasquier, who died at 19 on May 30 after an accident during free practice in Italy.

Its number, 50, has been permanently withdrawn from the Moto3 category.

© 2021 AFP