Bagnaia charges to a groundbreaking pole as Marc Marquez crashes

The Italian destroyed the lap record on Saturday morning and will start from pole position alongside Martin and Bastianini

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a stunning time to claim pole position for the Gran Premio Pramac dell’Emilia-Romagna. The Italian destroyed the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli lap record, clocking an unbelievable 1:30.031 – claiming a 0.214s advantage over Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). The #89 was on provisional pole in the opening moments of the session, before being pipped by his title rival in the final five minutes. Meanwhile, it was another great result for Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini, with ‘The Beast’ charging to the third and final spot on the front row – improving on his final flying lap.

Lap records destroyed in Q2

Q1 brought further drama to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) crashing early at Turn 1. The #73 sprinted back to the box, ready for a final time attack. Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) was at the top of the standings early on before Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) improved, sending the #33 and Oliveira through to Q2 after strong laps. Once Q2 got underway, Martin set the pace - clocking an early 1:30.245 – breaking the lap record instantly. Meanwhile, there was early drama for Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), with the #93 falling at Turn 3.

The action was left into the final minutes, with tension building as every rider tried to improve on their time from the first run. It was a spectacular show for the Misano crowd as red sectors appeared from Bagnaia and Martin. The #1 smashed the lap record, setting an incredible 1:30.031 to place two-tenths clear of Martin. Binder briefly jumped to third before Bastianini found further time.

Marc Marquez to start on the third row

Binder was demoted to fourth in the closing moments, heading the second row of the grid with a great starting ground for the Tissot Sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix. The South African will have tough competition on the second row after Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) placed a remarkable fifth as the rookie’s pace continues to improve. Acosta ended the session in fifth with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) holding onto the sixth-place spot on the grid.

Marc Marquez will start from row three after the #93 was unable to improve on the time set in his first run after returning to the circuit. The eight-time World Champion’s best time came on lap three, leaving him 0.849s adrift from pole. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) starts from eighth as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) placed P9 in another standout performance from the Frenchman.

Further back, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) starts from P19 on the grid, as the Aussie is left with a lot of work to do later on. Miller is not the only rider who aims to carve through the field, as Alex Marquez will start from 21st position – after an earlier Q1 crash.

The drama does not stop in Misano, so make sure you tune in for lights out at 15:00 local time (UTC +2) for an exhilarating Tissot Sprint!

VideoPass now 70% off

All of the LIVE & OnDemand content at your fingertips for an exceptional price

Subscribe Now!

Top 10:

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) 1:30.031
2 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) +0.214
3 Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) +0.533
4 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) +0.605
5 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) +0.700
6 Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) +0.806
7 Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) +0.849
8 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) +0.878
9 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) +0.890
10 Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) +0.901

 

FULL RESULTS!

Get the official MotoGP™ Newsletter!
Create a MotoGP™ account now and gain access to exclusive content, such as the MotoGP™ Newsletter, which features GP Reports, incredible videos and other interesting information about our sport.