Silverstone (United Kingdom) (AFP)

"A big breath of fresh air": this is how the Spaniard Pol Espargaro describes his first pole position with Honda, where he had a difficult first season, Saturday at the British Grand Prix, the twelfth round of the MotoGP season.

The Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and the French Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), leader of the world championship, will accompany him on the front line on the starting grid of the Silverstone circuit on Sunday at 1 p.m. local (2 p.m. French / 12 p.m. GMT).

The other Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) will be ninth and the defending champion, the Spaniard Joan Mir (Suzuki), eleventh.

Between Quartararo and his dolphins, Bagnaia and Mir at 47 points and Zarco at 49, it's a chase with still seven or eight races to go, depending on what the health crisis will allow.

"Joan and I have the equivalent of two GPs behind," summed up the Italian at a press conference on Thursday.

"So we have to win more than once. (...) Just being in front of Fabio will not be enough with such a difference."

Yet out of nine GPs since 2010 at Silverstone, Yamaha has won four (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015), Suzuki two (2016 and 2019) and Ducati only one (2017).

- Quartararo can "do something good" -

Quartararo can therefore be optimistic, even if he suffers from his left ankle, which was twisted by falling on Friday and if he is not happy with his qualifications on a motorcycle which "was shaking in all directions".

Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) during qualifying for the MotoGP British GP, August 28, 2021 at Silverstone Adrian DENNIS AFP

"The most important thing is to have a good race pace", tempers the Frenchman, which is the case.

"Let's see what can be done on Sunday, but I think we can do something good" on a circuit he "loves".

"Fabio is still above the rest," said Zarco, who "lacks speed this weekend".

But Bagnaia, who is chasing his first MotoGP victory, assures us that he and his team have been working "perfectly" since Friday.

As for Mir, he is always faster in the race than on a lap.

Whatever his result on Sunday, the poleman has already succeeded.

"For me, even a first or a second row would have been like a victory in a difficult season" for all Honda, acknowledges Espargaro.

"I had so many difficulties that, psychologically, it is more than a pole."

"Sometimes the work doesn't pay off, but if you keep going, it ends up working, so I'll keep working," promises the Spaniard.

The second row goes to his compatriots Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac), whose absolute best time in qualifying was canceled for having exceeded the limits of the track, Marc Marquez (Honda), who came out of a crash at more than 270 km / h Friday with some pain and a scratch on the surface of the eye, and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia).

The future Italian retiree Valentino Rossi (Yamaha-SRT), eighth in qualifying, confirms that, despite poor performance, he is still comfortable on the British circuit.

- Sold out -

At Yamaha, Briton Cal Crutchlow (19th), full-time MotoGP player until last year and now test rider for the Japanese manufacturer, replaces Spaniard Maverick Vinales, whose contract was terminated before its end. .

At Yamaha-SRT, another Briton usually evolving in Moto2, Jake Dixon (21st and last), replaces the Italian Franco Morbidelli, convalescing after a knee operation in June.

Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) during free practice for the MotoGP British GP, August 28, 2021 at Silverstone Adrian DENNIS AFP

Italy's Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia), who tried to make his comeback on Friday after being operated on for a broken right ankle in early August, has withdrawn.

In Moto2, the pole goes to the Italian Marco Bezzecchi, 3rd in the championship.

His Australian predecessors Remy Gardner and Spanish Raul Fernandez are on the second row.

In Moto3, the Italian Romano Fenati, also 3rd among the riders, is at the forefront.

The Spanish leader Pedro Acosta and his runner-up and compatriot Sergio Garcia will start only 22nd and 24th.

Silverstone, one of the longest and fastest circuits on the calendar, was not on the program in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but is back this year sold out.

© 2021 AFP