MotoGP Spanish GP: Fabio Quartararo stuns Ducati rivals with pole

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo broke Ducati’s long stranglehold on MotoGP pole positions by going fastest in Saturday’s qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

The 2021 world champion thus delivered on the clear potential he had shown in Friday practice, when he reported he was surprised by his own speed aboard the M1.

The pole position is the first for a non-Ducati since Pedro Acosta’s pole at last year’s Japanese Grand Prix in October.

It also opens the door to a possible breakthrough for one of Ducati’s rivals in race trim: it has been Ducati all the way in grands prix since Maverick Vinales’s dominant weekend at the Americas GP last April, while Aleix Espargaro’s Catalan Grand Prix sprint race victory last May was the last non-Ducati win of any description.

Championship leader Marc Marquez will line up alongside Quartararo, with Francesco Bagnaia rounding out the front row on the second factory Ducati.

Qualifying 2 was a straight dry-weather fight without yellow flags or other complications.

When Marc Marquez set down a stunning lap record time of 1m35.643 with his first lap of the session, it was a huge statement and a major challenge for his rivals.

However, Marc had no response when Quartararo edged him during the second and final runs. Marquez, who had taken every pole of the season until today, could not improve on his initial benchmark.

Marc’s brother Alex Marquez will start fourth, missing out on the front row by just three thousands of a second. The Gresini Ducati rider will be disappointed after having starred on Friday with what was then a lap record of his own.

VR46 Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli bounced back well from a high-speed crash in practice to claim fifth on the grid, alongside Vinales, who had made it through from Q1 aboard the Tech3 KTM.

Row three will be made up of rookie sensation Fermin Aldegeuer (Gresini Ducati), the second VR46 bike of Fabio di Giannantonio and Joan Mir, who will lead the Honda attack aboard the factory machine.

LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco will start 10th, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) and Pedro Acosta (KTM) for company.

Earlier, Q1 began in the aftermath of a dramatic Free Practice 2 session that saw several riders fall, including Bagnaia, Morbidelli, Acosta and Alex Rins.

Rins, whose main bike was destroyed and who needed a quick check-up at the medical centre, had the tightest turnaround given that he had not made it directly into Q2. The Spaniard did manage to get out just in time to set a lap time in Q1, but it was too late for him to find his best rhythm aboard his spare bike and he will line up last on the grid.

Meanwhile, up at the front of Q1, Vinales proved his claim that he hadn’t shown his true potential on Friday, absolutely breezing into Q2. Bezzecchi was the only rider to offer a hint of a threat, but the Italian couldn’t even beat Vinales’ second-fastest lap of the session.

MotoGP Spanish GP – Qualifying results

Q2

Q1