MotoGP: 0.059s splits the factory Ducati duo on Saturday morning, while Alex Marquez also gets within a tenth of the #93 in a historic Q2 battle
100 not out. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) has become the first rider ever to reach triple figures and take 100 pole positions across all classes after narrowly beating teammate Francesco Bagnaia to a Saturday morning P1 at the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy. Marquez’s all-time lap record, a 1:44.169, was just 0.059s quicker than Bagnaia’s best effort, as Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) claims a front row start having got within a tenth of pole in a memorable Mugello Q2.
Q1: Aldeguer and Fernandez grab Q2 spots
The initial benchmark time in Q1 was set by Trackhouse Racing MotoGP’s Raul Fernandez, a 1:45.214, and the Spaniard went marginally quicker again on his second flyer to lead Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by 0.256s.
On the second runs though, Fernandez’s pace was beaten as Aldeguer dived into the 1:44s with a 1:44.894, a lap good enough to see the rookie sit 0.264s ahead of the Trackhouse star. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) improved his time as well to go 0.027s behind Fernandez, before Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) pounced up to P2 to demote Fernandez to P3 by 0.007s. Could anyone respond on their final attempts? Fernandez was giving it a good go and sure enough, by 0.014s, the #25 knocked the Australian out of the top two. It doesn’t get a lot closer than that. Late disappointment for Prima Pramac and Miller, delight for Trackhouse and Fernandez.
Q2: A fascinating fight for pole
Then, after a breather, MotoGP Q2 lit up the Tuscan hills. And Marc Marquez’s first lap was a 1:44.500 – a new all-time lap record. Not a bad start to qualifying for the #93, as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) went a couple of tenths adrift to sit in an early P2. But that P2 then belonged to Bagnaia as the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Italian GP victor went just 0.048s away from his teammate’s time, with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) slotted into P3.
That shoved Quartararo to a provisional P4, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) was an early P5, and Maverick Viñales’ (Red Bull KTM Tech3) first real showing in Q2 saw Top Gun set a 1:44.915 to go P6 as we then strapped in for the second set of time attacks at Mugello.
And as usual, the timing screens were lighting up with plenty of orange and red. Quartararo’s third sector was unbelievable, El Diablo was over three tenths faster than Marc Marquez’s time and although he didn’t hold that advantage to the line, the Yamaha star snatched provisional pole away from Ducati.
Bagnaia then had his say. A beautiful 1:44.228 saw the home hero climb to P1, Alex Marquez came close and went P2 before Marc Marquez regained top spot by 0.059s. This was some serious pace. Could anyone find time with just over a minute to go?
Viñales wasn’t far away three-quarters of the way around his latest attempt, but it wasn’t enough to see the Tech3 rider leap onto the front row. It was P5 for the Practice pacesetter, and that was the final improvement of the session which meant Marc Marquez clinched that 100th career pole position. Some achievement. Bagnaia and Alex Marquez make up a front row split by 0.083s, boy is that set up nicely for the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix.
How the front four rows shape up for the Italian GP
Battling through the pain, Quartararo spearheads Row 2 ahead of Viñales and Morbidelli, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) earns a P7 grid slot on home turf. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) launched from P8, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) aims for Sprint points from P9 as Row 4 is made up of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), Fernandez and Aldeguer.
NEXT: Mugello’s Tissot Sprint
The title race leader, the home hero and the chief chaser. Who wins? Who knows. Make sure you tune into the Sprint at 15:00!
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