JEREZ, Spain: Frenchman Fabio Quartararo beat crowd favorite and six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to take pole position at the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez on Saturday, where the lap record was broken twice.

Championship leader Marquez looked on course for a fifth successive pole after he sped to a time of one minute and 35.643 seconds early in the second qualifying, but Quartararo put on a blistering lap in the final moments to stun the Ducati rider.

The 26-year-old Yamaha rider clocked a time of one minute and 35.610 seconds to take his first pole since 2022.

Twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia came third to complete the front row.

“It’s a really special feeling, a special emotion for everybody,” Quartararo said.

“We know that the points are on the sprint and the race, but already to feel the atmosphere close to all these guys is something.”

“Hopefully, we can make a great fight on the sprint, on the race we know it’s a little more difficult. But super happy to be here. We are working hard and the work will pay off.”

Gresini’s Alex Marquez was the fourth fastest, ahead of Franco Morbidelli of VR46 Racing in fifth.

Marquez leads his younger brother Alex by 17 points in the championship and Italian Bagnaia in third by 26.

DUBAI: Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, has nominated Malcolm Wilson, a leading figure in British motor sport, for the position of deputy president for sport.

The FIA, the global governing body for motor sport and advocacy group for motoring organizations, said on Wednesday that members will vote on the nomination during the federation’s Extraordinary General Assemblies and Conference in Macau in June.

Wilson is the managing director of M-Sport, which has operated Ford’s World Rally program since 1997. Previously he was a highly successful rally driver, who won the British Rally in 1994. He is an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club, and in 2009 he was awarded an OBE for services to motor sport in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list.

Under his leadership, M-Sport won the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 2006 and 2007 and 2017, and back-to-back driver and co-driver championships in 2017 and 2018. It also served as a technical partner with Bentley Motors, leading the design and development of the Continental GT3 race car, and in electric motor sport with Jaguar in the Ipace eTrophy event.

The deputy president for sport, one of the most senior elected roles within the FIA, serves on the World Motor Sport Council and has a wide range of responsibilities, including development of global motor sport policies in collaboration with FIA commissions and national sporting authorities, and the promotion of safety, sustainability and innovation in the sport.

Ben Sulayem said: “I am delighted to nominate Malcolm Wilson OBE for the role of FIA deputy president for sport. Malcolm has had a distinguished career in global motor sport.

“For over 40 years he has competed at the highest level, both as a driver and technical partner to teams. This experience will be invaluable to the FIA and our member clubs as we continue to grow grassroots and professional motor sport, driving innovation in the sport to benefit fans, drivers and teams.”

Wilson said: “Having started my career in motor sport in the 1970s as a driver and then technical partner to teams, it is a great honor to be nominated for the role of FIA deputy president for sport.

“The FIA has played a central role in my career and I very much look forward to supporting the president and all the FIA family in its important mission. There has never been a more exciting time to be in motor sport, and I know first-hand the benefits the sport brings to families and communities across the world.

“I look forward to working with the president for the duration of his current term of office, bringing our sport to new audiences and ensuring we deliver the very best championships for all our competitors.”