VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio stormed to his second career pole position in the heart-pounding chaos of Brazilian MotoGP qualifying, despite a dramatic late crash.
Di Giannantonio delivered a blistering lap time of 1:17.410 to secure the top spot, beating Marco Bezzecchi by just 0.070 seconds and reigning champion Marc Márquez by 0.081 seconds.
Qualifying kicked off under dry but dicey conditions on Saturday, March 21, following a weekend battered by flooding that forced organizers to work overtime to make the circuit race-ready.
The 30-minute FP2 practice session immediately preceding Q1 served as a grim warning, with multiple riders sliding out in the long Turn 4 right-hander and other tricky sectors, as the tarmac still oozed moisture from beneath, creating deceptive wet patches amid the apparent dryness.
Q1 commenced at 13:50 GMT, a 15-minute frenzy for the bottom feeders from Friday’s timed practice, where only the top two would advance to the pole-deciding Q2.
Di Giannantonio, riding the potent VR46 Ducati GP26 wasted no time, posting a strong early effort to lead the pack, while his teammate Franco Morbidelli and Honda’s Joan Mir pushed hard behind him.
Marco Bezzecchi on the Aprilia RS-GP26 also shone, navigating the slippery surface with precision to secure second in Q1 with a 1:17.480, just enough to punch his ticket to Q2 alongside Di Giannantonio, who topped the session at a pace that hinted at bigger things to come.
No major incidents marred Q1, though yellow flags fluttered briefly for a minor off at Turn 8 involving Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez, allowing the session to flow relatively smoothly into the main event.
Transitioning seamlessly into Q2 at 14:15 GMT, the 12 fastest riders including the Q1 graduates Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi lined up for the 15-minute pole battle.
However, just three minutes in two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia became the first high-profile casualty to crash after his factory Ducati snapped sideways at Turn 10, sending him sliding into the gravel without injury.
Pecco remounted swiftly on his second bike, but the lost time was crucial, his team radio crackling with urgency as he rejoined the fray several tenths off the pace.
Hot on Bagnaia’s heels, Pedro Acosta fell victim to the dreaded Turn 4 right-hander as subsurface moisture betrayed his KTM’s rear tire mid-corner, tumbling into the gravel.
The young Spaniard was unhurt but frustrated as championship implications loomed after losing precious time swapping bikes.
Marc Márquez struck the same Turn 4 snare moments later after his Ducati washed out the front under braking illusion from the “weeping” track, yet the eight-time world champion leaped off, waved away medical staff and hustled back to garage for a seamless bike change.
Amid the early chaos, Fabio Di Giannantonio capitalized masterfully, threading his VR46 Ducati through a clean lap to provisionally claim pole with 1:17.410 on his first full run.
Jorge Martin held a threatening third at the halfway mark on his Aprilia as his teammate Marco Bezzecchi slotted into fifth after conserving tires, while Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo began showing promise in the twisty sectors slotting into the provisional top 5.
As second runs loomed with eight minutes remaining, vulnerability hung in the air as the field pushed harder but Di Giannantonio muscled through the treacherous conditions, lowering his benchmark to 1:17.410.
Disaster struck Martin with three minutes left after his Aprilia tucked at Turn 6—a tight right after a heavy braking zone—spilling him into the runoff and ruining his potential pole lap. The incident triggered yellow flags, halting several last-minute pushes.
Undeterred but now under duress, Di Giannantonio pushed for one final attempt, only to join the crash parade himself after his Ducati slid out at Turn 4 in identical fashion to Márquez and Acosta.
Yet his earlier benchmark held firm enough to secure pole position by a narrow 0.070-second margin over Bezzecchi, while the older Marquez took third.
Fabio Quartararo pulled off some “magic” on the Yamaha Factory Racing machine to grab fourth followed by Martin and Ai Ogura in fifth and sixth.
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