Jorge Martin made an impressive start to the qualifying session in Qatar by setting a blistering lap time, breaking the MotoGP lap record with a sensational sub-1 minute 50-second performance.
Martin’s incredible lap of 1:50.789s on his first flying lap propelled him to the top of the timing sheets, edging ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia, both fellow Ducati riders.
The Ducati dominance continued with Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini securing fourth and fifth positions respectively, showcasing the strength of the team’s performance.
Despite showing promising pace, Bagnaia’s bid for provisional pole position was thwarted by a mistake in the closing stages of his run, ultimately settling for third place behind Di Giannantonio.
Brad Binder and Marc Marquez posed a threat to Jorge Martin’s top time, displaying strong sector times, but Martin’s resilient performance in the final sector ensured he retained pole position until the end of the session.
Trackhouse Racing’s Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, along with Marco Bezzecchi and Jack Miller, entered the session as favorites after narrowly missing out on automatic Q2 positions in practice.
Oliveira initially topped the timesheets, followed closely by Miller, who recovered from a late fall in practice. However, it was Fernandez who ultimately secured the top spot with an impressive lap time of 1:51.436s.
Alex Rins encountered issues exiting the final corner, forcing him to abandon his final stint and return to the pit lane, while Joan Mir suffered a crash at the final corner during his factory Honda’s run.
In the closing moments of the session, Johann Zarco utilized Oliveira’s slipstream to secure second place, with Miller narrowly overtaking him to claim the runner-up spot, while Fernandez maintained his position at the top of the standings.
The qualifying session showcased thrilling performances and intense competition, setting the stage for an exciting race in Qatar.
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