Francesco Bagnaia led a Ducati 1-2 in MotoGP qualifying in Thai GP from Enea Bastianini, with Jorge Martin slotting in third.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) has secured an incredible pole position at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, unleashing his full potential and clocking an unbelievable 1:28.700. The #1 set a stunning time on his final run, claiming pole position as he prepares to start ahead of teammate Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). ‘The Beast’ was 0.232s adrift and was the only other rider who was able to leap into the 1:28 bracket. Bastianini will crucially start in front of Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who held onto the final spot on the front row after suffering a crash on his final run.
Late crashes and lap records at Buriram
The MotoGP stars had one last opportunity to prepare for qualifying on Saturday morning, with FP2 kickstarting the day. Marc Marquez took FP2 honours ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), setting the stage nicely for qualifying. Once Q1 began, it was a remarkable pace from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who took an early advantage on the first run. The action continued into the final seconds, with sector times tumbling and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) earning a spot in Q2 alongside Di Giannantonio.
Then after a few quiet moments, track action resumed as the battle for pole position commenced. It was a blistering start to the session, with Bagnaia going under the lap record, setting a 1:29.076 and becoming the new reference after the first run. In the closing moments of the session, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) made another Q2 mistake, crashing at Turn 3 while sitting in P4. Moments later, Bagnaia uncorked a lap inside the 1:28s as Martin crashed at Turn 5, quickly followed by teammate Morbidelli.
Marc Marquez holds onto P5
Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) found time, climbing to fourth on the grid as he prepares to head the second row. The Italian will start alongside Marc Marquez, who will start from P5 despite a crash at Turn 3. The Spaniard will set sights on returning to the podium at the Chang International Circuit but faces steep competition as Quartararo joins the #93 on the second row after the Frenchman extracted the maximum from his Yamaha – battling through Q1.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will start from seventh, with the rookie continuing to put in an impressive showing in Thailand. Acosta placed as the top Pierer Mobility and will start ahead of the fighting fit Di Giannantonio, who launches from a solid eighth – just 0.735s adrift. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was able to secure the final spot on row three, setting a 1:29.527.
Further back, Morbidelli will start from 11th, ending Q2 ahead of Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) after both riders suffered crashes in qualifying. Meanwhile, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder and Jack Miller have work to do on the opening laps, starting from 13th and 15th on the grid, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) also prepares for a tough task, starting from P14 after a difficult weekend so far in Thailand.
Result: https://x.com/MotoGP/status/1850035357389144433
[Note: The story is as per press release]