Marc Vich has taken his debut R3 bLU cRU World Cup pole position at the final round of the season at MotorLand Aragon as the Mallorcan fights for title glory against Spanish rival Gonzalo Sanchez who took second on the grid.

The WorldSBK paddock’s youngest challengers opened the track action on Friday morning at the Spanish circuit of Aragon with the Free Practice session. It was Vich who laid down the fastest time (2’14.036s), finishing just +0.188s ahead of Sanchez, while Magny-Cours Race 1 winner Cameron Swain finished the morning in third.

In the Superpole session Vich carved his time down to 2’12.648, just a couple of tenths off the lap record. The 17-year-old’s speed and experience proved unbeatable, even against Sanchez who is very much at home at MotorLand having been born and raised in nearby Teruel.

Sanchez closed the session +0.296s behind Vich for an important front row start, and a returning Mario Salles showed great pace for third. Title contender Alessandro Di Persio will start sixth on the grid in his quest to chase down the Spanish pair who lead him in the standings.

With Vich just nine points ahead of Sanchez it’s sure to be an exhilarating Race 1, and you can watch every second of it LIVE on the Yamaha Racing YouTube channel at 11:50 CET.

FULL RESULTS – R3 bLU cRU – FREE PRACTICE

FULL RESULTS – R3 bLU cRU – SUPERPOLE

Marc Vich said: “I’m really happy because I haven’t had a pole position in the R3 bLU cRU World Cup before and I feel that my pace was good, but we know that the races are always different so let’s see what happens. My feeling with the track is good, it’s a bit slippery out there but not too bad, and my bike feels great. I think it will be a big battle tomorrow because Gonzalo is fast and there will also be other quick riders ready to join the fight…”

Source: WorldSBK.com