Marquez Shatters Lap Record to Snatch Pole in Thrilling Lusail Qualifying
Saturday, 12 April 2025 – Lusail International Circuit
Marc Marquez continues to assert his authority in qualifying this season, delivering a scintillating late-session lap at Lusail to secure pole position with a new lap record of 1:50.499. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider left it until the very end to pull the pin, edging out younger brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) by a mere tenth of a second.
The front row was rounded off by an electrifying return to form from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who delivered Yamaha’s first front-row start since Assen in 2022.
However, it wasn’t all smiles for the Ducati Lenovo garage, as reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia slid out on his second run, leaving him marooned down in P11 and with plenty of work to do in Sunday’s main event.
Q1: Martin Returns as Ogura and Rins Make It Through
The first part of qualifying had its fair share of drama and intrigue, especially with Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) returning to action. While results aren’t the top priority for the #1 just yet as he focuses on recovery and rhythm, Martin showed he’s still got plenty of pace, running second behind Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) for most of the session.
In the end, it was Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) who managed to squeeze into second place, joining rookie Ogura in advancing to Q2. Just missing out was Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), who narrowly outpaced teammate Martin but fell short of progressing by a razor-thin 0.041s.
Q2: Lusail Delivers Desert Drama in Pole Shootout
Qualifying Part 2 kicked off under the lights with everything to play for, and the stakes only climbed with each passing lap. Coming into the session, Friday’s times had teased a nail-biting fight, with Bagnaia and Marc Marquez separated by just 0.022s, and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) leading both of them.
As the field launched into their first hot laps, it was Alex Marquez who laid down the early benchmark, with Marc swiftly following to slot into provisional pole. Morbidelli, Quartararo, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), and Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) filled out the early top six. Bagnaia sat in ninth, clearly still warming into his groove.
But it was the final five minutes where everything came unglued.
Bagnaia’s Mistake Leaves Him on the Back Foot
Desperate to improve, Bagnaia was the first rider to exit pit lane for his second flying run. But Turn 4 had other ideas. The #63 tucked the front and crashed out, ending his session prematurely and eliminating any chance of recovering a front-row slot.
Meanwhile, Di Giannantonio was lighting up the sectors and temporarily slotted into P2, pushing for a surprise front-row spot. Rins was also on a flyer, moving up to fifth, but then Quartararo raised the stakes.
Quartararo and the Marquez Brothers Light It Up
‘El Diablo’ was electric, throwing down a phenomenal lap to snatch provisional pole. For a brief moment, it looked like Yamaha would finally be back on top. But Alex Marquez wasn’t done—he responded immediately, pipping Quartararo and putting himself in prime position.
Enter Marc Marquez.
With all eyes on the #93, the elder Marquez delivered under pressure, improving in every sector before crossing the line with a lap time of 1:50.499—a new lap record and his fourth pole position of the season. He led an all-star front row of brother Alex in second and a resurgent Quartararo in third, signaling Yamaha’s growing strength heading into the rest of the weekend.
Front Two Rows Packed With Firepower
Just missing the front row was Friday’s fastest rider, Franco Morbidelli, who will start from fourth after narrowly missing out on a final improvement. Right behind him is his teammate Di Giannantonio in fifth, showing VR46 Racing is very much in the mix.
Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) completes the second row in sixth place, and in doing so, becomes the top KTM rider—by a sizeable six-tenths—over Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who ended the session in twelfth after a relatively quiet Q2.
Rookies and Veterans Shape the Third Row
Johann Zarco will line up seventh, just outside the top two rows. He’s followed by rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who achieved his best-ever grid start with P8. Alex Rins slots into ninth after a strong recovery through Q1.
Ai Ogura, another rookie standout, took P10 ahead of Bagnaia, who got shuffled further down the order following his fall. Pedro Acosta rounds out the Q2 field in 12th, with both he and Bagnaia surely planning a big comeback when the lights go out.
What to Watch For: Bagnaia and Acosta Ready to Charge
Despite his P11 start, Bagnaia is no stranger to carving through the field—just look back to his launch in Texas, where he rocketed from the mid-pack to the holeshot. With both he and Acosta starting outside the top ten, expect fireworks when the lights go out.
Don’t Miss the Tissot Sprint!
The full qualifying results are available now, and next up is the Tissot Sprint, set for 20:00 (UTC+3). With a front row stacked with raw speed, and title contenders like Bagnaia buried in the midfield, it’s set to be a Saturday night showdown under the lights in Lusail.
You won’t want to miss a second of it.
Official MotoGP Press Release
