---
title: "Johann Zarco Claims Pole Position for the 2018 MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar"
description: "The Frenchman beat Jorge Lorenzo's previous MotoGP track record on his way to the front of the grid."
date: "2018-03-18"
modified: "2018-03-18"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19354/johann-zarco-claims-pole-position-for-the-2018-motogp-grand-prix-of-qatar"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Dani Pedrosa"
  - "Jorge Lorenzo"
  - "Marc Márquez"
  - "MotoGP"
  - "motorcycle racing"
  - "Qatar"
  - "racing"
  - "Racing News"
  - "Valentino Rossi"
---

# Johann Zarco Claims Pole Position for the 2018 MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/03/dyb5lsew0aeffzy-jpg-large.jpeg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Johann Zarco of Monster Yamaha Tech3 put on an impressive performance at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, which resulted in the Frenchman's fourth pole position in just two years in MotoGP.

Zarco, who still remains victory-less at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing is quickly making a name for himself, and showing the top racing bosses that he's got the speed and the skills to get the job done. The Frenchman not only beat Honda's [Marc Marquez](<https://www.thedrive.com/motorcycles/7049/yes-thats-a-motogp-bike-on-a-ski-lift>) to the pole position by more than to two-tenths of a second, but he also beat the track's lap record, which was set by Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha back in 2008. More specifically, Zarco's time of 1:53.680 was 0.247 seconds faster than Lorenzo's record.

![message-editor%2F1521318452016-dygescexuaath9g.jpg-large.jpeg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1521318452016-dygescexuaath9g.jpg-large.jpeg>)
*Zarco celebrates his fourth MotoGP pole position., *Twitter/MotoGP**

![message-editor%2F1521318466992-dyfje-2wsaeogh4.jpg-large.jpeg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1521318466992-dyfje-2wsaeogh4.jpg-large.jpeg>)
*Rossi suffers a high-speed crash ahead of qualifying., *Twitter/MotoGP**

Both Q1 and Q2 qualifying sessions were mostly ruled by Marc Marquez and [Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso](<https://www.thedrive.com/motorcycles/19092/ducati-celebrates-25-years-of-the-monster-with-parade-in-france>), who seemed more than set to conquer the top two spots of the starting grid. That was until LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow and Pramac Ducati's Danilo Petrucci showed up on the scene, and managed to steal the third and fourth positions and bump Dovizioso down to fifth spot. The results of that created an interesting Yamaha-Honda-Ducati-Honda-Ducati top five.

Some of MotoGP's superstars didn't fare too well during qualifying, with [Valentino Rossi](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19278/motogp-champ-valentino-rossi-signs-new-two-year-deal-with-yamaha>) scraping by in eighth place after recuperating from a crash during Practice 3, and Spaniard Dani Pedrosa edging the Italian in his Honda by just one-tenth of a second in seventh spot. Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo will have to work some of his magic during tomorrow's race, as his ninth spot behind the series' best riders will make it difficult to move up the field in a hurry. The [Spaniard's fastest qualifying lap](<https://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/11949/watch-the-development-of-a-motorcycle-racing-helmet-from-the-lab-to-the-track>) was a whopping three-quarters of a second slower than Zarco's.

If there's one thing we can learn from today's qualifying session, is that tomorrow's race will be everything but boring!

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)