Jack Miller has qualified on pole for the first time in MotoGP having braved a drying track on slick tyres in Argentina.
Miller knocked Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) out of top spot at the end of Qualifying 2 with a 1:47.153s lap, and they will line up on the front row with Johann Zarco (Tech3 Yamaha).
Rain fell in Free Practice 4, leaving the track wet for qualifying, and slick tyres only appeared for the first time in the second runs of Q2.
Even then, only Miller, Marc Marquez, and Cal Crutchlow tried dry-weather rubber, with the latter two not attempting a flying lap before they changed back to wets.
The Queenslander, on the other hand, stayed out to take pole on his Pramac Ducati.
Marquez (Repsol Honda) qualified sixth and will start alongside fourth-placed Tito Rabat (Avintia Ducati) and fifth-placed Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar).
Aleix Espargaro was fastest in the first runs but ended up seventh on his Gresini Aprilia and will share Row 3 with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha).
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), and Andrea Iannone (Suzuki Ecstar) start off Row 4.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) will start only 14th after being bumped from the top two in Q1 by Aleix Espargaro then beaten also by Karel Abraham (Nieto Ducati).
Race start is Monday morning at 0400 AEST.
Qualifying: Argentina MotoGP
Pos | Num | Rider | Nat | Team | Bike | Time | Gap 1st/prev |
1 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1:47.153 | |
2 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | ESP | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 1:47.330 | 0.177 / 0.177 |
3 | 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 1:47.365 | 0.212 / 0.035 |
4 | 53 | Tito RABAT | ESP | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1:47.681 | 0.528 / 0.316 |
5 | 42 | Alex RINS | ESP | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 1:47.743 | 0.590 / 0.062 |
6 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | ESP | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 1:47.754 | 0.601 / 0.011 |
7 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | ESP | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 1:47.845 | 0.692 / 0.091 |
8 | 04 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 1:48.247 | 1.094 / 0.402 |
9 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | ESP | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1:49.044 | 1.891 / 0.797 |
10 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 1:49.304 | 2.151 / 0.260 |
11 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 1:49.326 | 2.173 / 0.022 |
12 | 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 1:49.975 | 2.822 / 0.649 |
13 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 1:49.878 | Q1 / Q1 |
14 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | ESP | Ducati Team | Ducati | 1:50.063 | Q1 / 0.185 |
15 | 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 1:50.175 | Q1 / 0.112 |
16 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1:50.324 | Q1 / 0.149 |
17 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 1:50.364 | Q1 / 0.040 |
18 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 1:50.449 | Q1 / 0.085 |
19 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | ESP | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 1:50.606 | Q1 / 0.157 |
20 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 1:50.833 | Q1 / 0.227 |
21 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 1:51.007 | Q1 / 0.174 |
22 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 1:51.012 | Q1 / 0.005 |
23 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 1:51.142 | Q1 / 0.130 |
24 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 1:51.387 | Q1 / 0.245 |