Marc Marquez will start the Grand Prix of The Americas from fourth position despite setting the fastest lap after being penalised for blocking Maverick Viñales.
Marquez had a dramatic qualifying session on his Repsol Honda, crashing midway through and having to ride a scooter back to pit lane to get to his second bike.
When the Spaniard began his second run, he appeared to get in Viñales’ way during his out lap as the Movistar Yamaha rider attempted a flyer.
Viñales usurped Marquez at the top of the order next time around, only for #93 to go reclaim the position with a lap 0.4s faster again.
The pole would have been Marquez’s sixth from as many MotoGP rounds held so far at Circuit of the Americas, but an investigation was announced as qualifying came to a close.
The three position grid penalty for the baulk means that Viñales will share the front row with Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone and Tech3 Yamaha’s Johann Zarco.
Take the short survey.
Alongside Marquez will be Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team).
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), and Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati) round out the top 10.
Pol Espargaro was the first of the Red Bull KTMs in 12th position after coming through Qualifying 1.
Jack Miller could only manage the eighth-fastest time in Q1, meaning he will start from 18th on his Pramac Ducati.
Race start is Monday morning at 0500 AEST.
Update: Pol Espargaro also penalised three grid positions for baulking another rider
Qualifying: Grand Prix of The Americas
| Pos | Num | Rider | Nat | Team | Bike | Time | |
| 1 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | ESP | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 2:04.064 | |
| 2 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 2:04.209 | |
| 3 | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 2:04.210 | |
| 4 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | ESP | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 2:03.658 | Penalty |
| 5 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 2:04.229 | |
| 6 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | ESP | Ducati Team | Ducati | 2:04.294 | |
| 7 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 2:04.456 | |
| 8 | 04 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 2:04.865 | |
| 9 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | ESP | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 2:04.963 | |
| 10 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 2:05.058 | |
| 11 | 42 | Alex RINS | ESP | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 2:05.260 | |
| 12 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 2:05.457 | Q1 |
| 13 | 53 | Tito RABAT | ESP | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 2:05.686 | Q1 |
| 14 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 2:05.761 | Q1 |
| 15 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 2:05.829 | Penalty |
| 16 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 2:05.873 | Q1 |
| 17 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 2:05.943 | Q1 |
| 18 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 2:05.966 | Q1 |
| 19 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | ESP | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 2:06.035 | Q1 |
| 20 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SUI | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 2:06.222 | Q1 |
| 21 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | ESP | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 2:06.296 | Q1 |
| 22 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 2:06.370 | Q1 |
| 23 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 2:06.537 | Q1 |
| 24 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 2:06.726 | Q1 |
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