Fabio Quartararo just equalled Barry Sheene record with pole position at French Grand Prix

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Fabio Quartararo is on pole once again at the French Grand Prix. Before round five in Jerez, he hadn’t been quickest in qualifying since 2022, but he’s now done it in back-to-back sessions.

While the Spanish GP pole ended his drought, this will naturally be a more meaningful achievement for Quartararo. His record-breaking 1:29.3, which saw him pip Marc Marquez, prompted perhaps the loudest cheers of the MotoGP season so far.

El Diablo was only eighth on home soil last year, reflecting the limitations of his Yamaha motorcycle. And he didn’t make the top 12 the year before.

But Quartararo has now delivered his third Le Mans pole and his first since 2021. He will, of course, dream of a first home victory from here.

Fabio Quartararo scores 18th MotoGP pole position at Le Mans

This was Quartararo’s 18th pole in his 117th premier-class weekend. His success rate remains above 15% despite Yamaha’s lean years.

The table below shows where the 2021 world champion stacks up all-time. He’s now moved into a tie for 14th with Barry Sheene, Eddie Lawson and Kenny Roberts, all of whom won multiple times.

The late Sheene, widely regarded as one of the greatest British riders ever, also rode a Yamaha motorcycle at the 500cc level. His last pole came in the 1982 Yugoslavian GP.

Among current riders, Quartararo still ranks fourth, but he’s now only two behind the injured Jorge Martin. He only scored three poles in the lower classes on his ascent to MotoGP.

Marc Marquez’s verdict on Fabio Quartararo’s brilliant French Grand Prix pole

One of the most impressive aspects of Quartararo’s pole was that he was nearly nine-tenths faster than the next-best Yamaha. Teammate Alex Rins went out in Q1, and Miguel Oliveira was 20th on his return from injury.

Quartararo avoided a huge pay-cut by staying at Yamaha rather than joining a satellite Ducati team. His faith in the Japanese manufacturer is looking increasingly justified.

Still, some MotoGP fans wish that he’d taken the plunge. His recent performances arguably demonstrate that he’s the closest match for Marc Marquez right now.

Marquez gave Kudos to Quartararo after his sublime lap. He told Ducati crew chief Marco Rigamonti that his own 1:29.4 was ‘nice’, accepting that he’d lost out in a straight fight.