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Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi set the pace in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, shattering the MotoGP lap record to secure pole position ahead of Ducati rival Marc Marquez. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi’s team-mate and championship challenger Jorge Martin endured a difficult session, qualifying down in 11th place.
Qualifying One Action
With the four Yamahas absent following their withdrawal from the event, Q1 took place on a much quieter Lusail circuit under 34-degree temperatures. Pedro Acosta made a rare appearance in Q1 after a tough Friday, immediately topping the timesheets ahead of Fermin Aldeguer.
In the closing stages, Aldeguer lowered his time to a 1m50.876s to lead Acosta, who secured second in the session with a 1m51.087s. Both riders successfully advanced to Q2, keeping Acosta ahead of Franco Morbidelli and the rest of the chasing pack.
Q2 Showdown and Pole Position
The busier Q2 session immediately brought out a yellow flag after South Africa’s Brad Binder crashed his bike for the second time over the weekend. Marc Marquez navigated past the trouble to set a provisional record lap of 1m50.361s.
Bezzecchi soon responded by lowering the benchmark further to a 1m50.065s, establishing an advantage of nearly three tenths over Marquez. As riders pitted for fresh soft rear tyres, Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez emerged as the only other competitor within half a second of the pacesetter.
In the final minutes, Marquez improved his time to a 1m50.294s, but it was not enough to challenge Bezzecchi. The Aprilia rider shaved off a final fraction of time to cement his pole position with a 1m50.028s, leaving Marquez to settle for second on the grid.
Grid Lineup and Surrounding Results
VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed third place on the grid at one of his preferred circuits. Row two will feature Fernandez in fourth, factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia in fifth, and Ai Ogura in sixth.
Johann Zarco will start from seventh on row three, followed by Q1 graduates Acosta and Aldeguer in eighth and ninth respectively. Enea Bastianini qualified 10th, while Martin struggled with his physical injuries and grew visibly frustrated with Acosta after a late-session incident.
Binder rounded out the top 12 on the grid, ensuring Acosta maintained his record of always outscoring his team-mate.
