MotoGP: A blistering Q2 unfolds at the rollercoaster as a late Turn 3 crash for Alex Marquez costs Friday’s frontrunner a chance of pole.
Well, that wasn’t a bad qualifying session, was it? Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) grabbed pole for the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Portugal with a 1:37.556 in a relentless MotoGP Q2 that sees Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) earn a first front row start of the season in P2. Third place went the way of Q1 graduate Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who once again pulls a rabbit out of the hat in qualifying trim.
Quartararo and Miller grab Q2 spots
The first reference lap time in the dry but tricky conditions was set by Quartararo, a 1:40.031, but that was soon bettered by El Diablo himself. Three riders found themselves in the 1:39 bracket, those were the Frenchman, second place Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and third fastest Nicolo Bulega (Ducati Lenovo Team).
With two minutes to go, Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) shot to P1 by less than a tenth, but red sector times were everywhere as track conditions improved. Quartararo returned the favour to beat Marini’s time by three tenths and shadowing his Yamaha stablemate, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) promoted himself into P2. And with no more personal or session best times inbound after that flurry of times, the Yamaha duo did enough to sail into Q2.
Four-way fight for pole unfolds as Marquez endures late tip-off
Nicely up to speed after Q1, Quartararo immediately landed the fastest lap time of the day at the beginning of Q2 – a 1:38.518. As expected, though, the second flying laps saw the times tumble, and it was Friday pacesetter Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who rose to P1. But it was tight. Bezzecchi was 0.027s off, with Acosta also within a tenth of the #73’s effort.
At the end of the first run, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was P4, 0.415s away from Marquez’s 1:38.098, with Quartararo and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) occupying the provisional P5 and P6 spots on the second row.
However, things were going to change. Bezzecchi was the first to move the goalposts thanks to a 1:37.556, Acosta went P2 but the KTM star was over three tenths down on the Italian, with Miller climbing into the top five from P12. Marquez’s next flyer was only good enough for P3, and that turned to P4 when Quartararo fired himself up to P2.
Then, Marquez’s session was done. A Turn 3 crash meant the 2025 runner-up’s pole position hopes were over, as Acosta climbed back above Quartararo into P2. And that was as good as it was going to get for Acosta, he sat up and out of his final lap, with Bezzecchi also unable to improve.
Would it cost him pole though? Pecco was in touch through Sector 3, but the Italian’s lap went away a bit in the final split to see the #63 go P4, ahead of Marquez. And with that, a blistering Q2 was done – Bezzecchi held onto a brilliant pole, with Acosta and Quartararo making up a tantalising front row.
Your top 12 on the grid
As mentioned, Pecco spearheads the second row in P4 ahead of Marquez and Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR). Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) fronts the third row in P7, the 2020 World Champion will line up alongside Miller and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) late personal best saw the #44 earn P10, which means Aldeguer and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), our two rookies, will start from P11 and P12.
Coming up: Tissot Sprint
12 laps, 15:00 local time in Portugal.
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