Not there was Marc Marquez, who retired from qualifying due to lack of strength in his right arm. This means Quartararo effectively holds a 50-point lead over six-time champion Marquez in the championship.
In extremely hot conditions, last weekend’s winner Quartararo led from pole position ahead of Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi. Jack Miller was the first non-Yamaha to finish fourth.
Vinales crashed past Quartararo at the last corner on the first lap but outbraked himself and dropped to third place behind Rossi.
As Quartararo pulled away, Vinales got stuck behind his Yamaha factory teammate. Vinales couldn’t find a way past and then got caught up in the fight against Miller’s Pramac Ducatis and an attacking Francesco Bagnaia.
Miller crashed at Turn 9 as teammate Bagiaia caught up with Rossi and passed him at Turn 6 for second. Vinales dropped to fifth, behind Franco Morbidelli on the second Petronas Yamaha – until Morbidelli retired with a suspected engine problem.
Bagnaia’s bike started to smoke heavily, causing him to be knocked out of second place with six laps to go, furthering the bitter battle between Rossi and Vinales. Vinales crashed into second on the penultimate lap when Rossi ran too far.
Takaaki Nakagami’s LCR Honda was fourth ahead of Suzuki’s Joan Mir and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso.
Fifth-placed qualifier Miguel Oliveira took a hard crash after a first-corner collision with Brad Binder, causing Bradley Smith to dodge a stop.