MADRID (AP) - Spaniard Aleix
Espargaro dodged the showers on Saturday to grab pole position in the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix at Jerez.
The Aprilia rider, who set the best time in the heat in Friday’s qualifying, edged Australian Jack Miller (KTM) and fellow Spaniard Jorge Martin on a Ducati-Pramac.
Espargaro opened the morning by crashing in free practice. Down to one bike he then gambled on slick tyres as showers punctuated the final session and was rewarded with the fastest time.
As one of the 10 fastest from practice, Espargaro was able to sit out the opening qualifying session but was dismayed when it started to pour as that session ended.
Miller said that he was unsure which parts of the track were dry so he also gambled.
It was his first front-row place since joining KTM this season .
Martin said he needed to duplicate his fast qualifying in the races.
South African Brad Binder (KTM) and reigning Italian world champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) topped the opening qualifying earlier in the day to grab the last two spots in the shootout for the first four rows on the grid.
They made the most of their second chances by grabbing places on the second row alongside surprising Spanish veteran Daniel Pedrosa, entered as a wild card by KTM.
Championship leader Marco Bezzechi, on the second factory Ducati, finished 0.085sec behind Binder in the opening qualifying session and will start 13th.
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 world champion, qualified only 16th.