Alex Marquez shattered all-time Barcelona lap record to claim Catalunya MotoGP pole position, as Francesco Bagnaia endured his worst qualifying of the year after finishing 21st.
The BK8 Gresini Racing rider showcased exceptional pace and precision, clocking a scorching lap time of 1:37.536 which broke the previous track record and secured his first pole since 2023 Argentina GP.
Alex edged out Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and his older brother Marc Marquez who is currently leading the championship, promising an intense race day showdown among the Marquez siblings and a strong Yamaha contender.
The qualifying drama unfolded over two main sessions, Q1 and Q2, with riders battling to secure the top spots amid the demanding Catalunya layout known for its technical complexity and high-speed sections.
In Q1, Quartararo, riding the Monster Energy Yamaha M1, displayed blistering pace early on even breaking the previous Barcelona MotoGP lap record with a lap time in the 1:37s, signaling his intent to challenge the Ducati dominance that has defined the season so far.
Other notable performances included Fermin Aldeguer and Jack Miller progressing through, while several prominent names like Pecco Bagnaia struggled, with Bagnaia enduring a disappointing 21st-place qualifying on the Ducati Lenovo Team’s GP25 after difficulties throughout the weekend.
This marked one of his poorest qualifying outcomes of the year, contrasting sharply with his pole position from the previous Catalan event.
Once Q2 commenced, Alex Marquez showed exceptional command of his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati GP24 machine, pushing the limits with every lap.
Midway through the session Marc Marquez appeared somewhat unsettled, initially sitting sixth and visibly communicating feedback with his crew as he sought to optimize his Ducati Lenovo GP25 setup.
Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta on the KTM RC16 briefly swooped into pole only to have the advantage taken away by Alex who unleashed a stunning 1:37.536, shattering the existing Barcelona MotoGP lap record.
Fabio Quartararo missed out on securing Catalunya MotoGP pole position by just 0.267s, while Marc Marquez salvaged third on the grid after a last-ditch effort involving a spectacular save on his final lap to fend off chasing rivals.
Full Qualifying Results and starting grid for 2025 Catalunya MotoGP
The second row saw strong performances from Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team on Ducati machinery, qualifying fourth and sixth respectively, with Pedro Acosta’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTMR RC16 squeezed between them in fifth.
Acosta who initially threatened to take pole lost his best time due to track limit violations but still put in a remarkable ride to start well up the grid.
The third row was headed by LCR’s Johann Zarco who emerged as the top Honda rider in seventh. Ai Ogura took eighth place for Trackhouse Racing on the Aprilia RS-GP, followed by Enea Bastianini of Red Bull KTM Tech3 in ninth and Luca Marini of Honda HRC Castrol rounding out the top ten.
This distribution showed a diverse grid with multiple manufacturers capable of contesting for valuable points in the race, including Ducati, Yamaha, KTM, Honda, and Aprilia.
Meanwhile, Brad Binder missed out the top ten by just 0.006s while other riders like Marco Bezzecchi, Jack Miller, Joan Mir, Jorge Martin, and Aleix Espargaro saw mixed fortunes, with fierce competition relegating them to mid-pack or further back on the grid for Sunday’s race.
The return of wild-card entries and rookies such as Somkiat Chantra and Aleix Espargaro added an extra layer of interest, with the latter having suffered a recent injury but still taking on his home grand prix with determination.
READ MORE:
