2021 MotoGP | German GP: Aprilia Return To The Front Row After 21 Years

Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) goes from pole in his pursuit of a first premier class win, and plenty more to look out for. The Frenchman took P1 at the Sachsenring in sensational fashion while Aleix Espargaro, the Aprilia man sealed his first front row start since Assen in 2015 leaving him proud as punch about the work done developing the RS-GP.Johann Zarco has qualified on pole for the sixth time in MotoGP and the 25th time overall in his Grand Prix career. This is Zarco’s first pole since the Czech GP last year and the second pole for a French rider in the premier class at the Sachsenring.Aleix Espargaro has qualified third for the first front row for Aprilia since Jeremy McWilliams was on pole position at the 2000 Australian GP, and therefore the factory’s best qualifying in the MotoGP era. It’s also Aleix Espargaro’s best qualifying since he was second at the 2015 Dutch TT (then riding a Suzuki).With Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in Qatar, Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) in Doha, and now Johann Zarco in Germany, this is the first time there are three different Ducati riders who’ve taken least one pole in the same MotoGP season since 2018 (with Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo and Jack Miller).On pole over the last five races, Fabio Quartararo has qualified second for his 29th front row start (on what is his 41st race in MotoGP). Over his 28 previous front-row starts, he went on to finish on the podium 13 times (including five of his six premier class wins so far).With Johann Zarco and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), this is only the second French 1-2 in a premier class qualifying along with Brno last year with the same riders (since 1974 when pole position begun to be officially recorded).With Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in the fifth as the highest-placed Honda rider, this is the first time there is no Honda rider on the front row in MotoGP at the Sachsenring since 2009. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has qualified in sixth which is the second successive time he starts from the front two rows. In addition, this the best qualifying result for KTM in MotoGP at the Sachsenring.Jorge Martin is seventh as top rookie for his best qualifying since he took pole in Doha earlier this year. Similarly, Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), the reigning champion, has qualified 17th, which is his worst qualifying of the season so far.After failing to join Q2, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has qualified in 21st for his worst qualifying result since he stepped up to MotoGP in 2015. He finished on the podium in the last two MotoGP races held at the Sachsenring.