MotoGP: Bagnaia denies Marc Marquez for Le Mans pole
MotoGP: A first pole of the 2026 campaign kept his teammate at bay despite the #93 putting in a new lap record to graduate through Q1
Sparks were always going to fly in qualifying at Le Mans and we weren’t disappointed. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claimed a first pole of the season with a final flying lap to halt a Q1 to pole charge from teammate Marc Marquez, the #93 forced to settle for second, whilst it’s Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) who rounds out a powerhouse of a front row.
The Q1 big hitters were out in force immediately as the clock ticked down and the home crowd were expectant of last year’s polesitter Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to go through. ‘El Diablo’ delivered the goods, setting a flurry of lap times good enough for provisional top spot before a certain reigning World Champion had something to say about it. Marc Marquez shattered the lap record with a mega lap at the end of the session, giving him P1, but it was he and Quartararo who moved into Q2.
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So, both home representatives in Q2, along with the reigning World Champion, the top three in the standings and all after the closest Friday in MotoGP history, we were always going to get fireworks. Opening gambits laid out bare, Championship leader ‘Bez’ was provisional pole whilst Di Giannantonio was second and Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) third. Marc Marquez’s first attempt left him sixth whilst the home charge saw Quartararo P7 and Zarco P11. This was just the calm before the storm though, with time attack mode fully engaged and the quest for Le Mans pole success.
Second runs started and it was the #93 who was on a roll, charging into provisional pole whilst it was disaster for brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who crashed at Turn 3. He was all OK but it hindered his session. Just when we thought it was all done and dusted, Bagnaia pulled out a heroic final role of the dice to deny teammate Marquez pole. Despite Di Giannantonio’s best efforts on his final run, he couldn’t hook up the final sector and will have to come from the second row of the grid.
A first pole position since Sepang last year, Bagnaia is in the driving seat going into the Sprint and Grand Prix. With Marc Marquez second, it’s a Ducati Lenovo Team 1-2 for the first time since Brno last year, also led by Bagnaia, whilst Bezzecchi snatched the final front row position. ‘Diggia’ had to settle for second whilst Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – despite a trip through the Turn 2 gravel – rounds out the top five. Pole last year and P6 this year, Quartararo can be pleased with his second top six qualifying display of the year.
Best Honda honours went to Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) in P7 whereas 2024 World Champion and French GP winner Martin starts eighth. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) starts ninth ahead of Alex Marquez, home-hero Zarco and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
With the grid set, attention turns to the Tissot Sprint!
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