Marco Bezzecchi overcame a near crash into the gravel and went on to set an all-time lap record to ultimately claim Valencia MotoGP pole position.
Saturday’s Qualifying for the 2025 MotoGP season finale at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia saw an electrifying display of speed and skill, filled with intensely close battles and strategic tire choices.
The session began with the initial phase Q1, where all 24 riders gave their utmost to claim the best possible starting positions for the final race of the season.
Among those successfully advancing were Raul Fernandez and Johann Zarco, both demonstrating strong pace and intent to vie for a top spot on the grid.
Notably, Francesco Bagnaia, one of the favorites, faced a technical issue that forced him to qualify down in 16th position after missing the chance to progress beyond Q1.
Q2 was fiercely contested, with Alex Marquez surging to set the fastest lap in the early running with a time close to the existing track record.
However, the tension peaked when Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi responded by shattering the Valencia lap record with an astonishing 1:28.809 — a significant improvement over the previous mark of 1:28.931 set by Maverick Vinales in 2023.
Amid the pressure, Bezzecchi even endured a precarious moment by losing the front tire and sliding into the gravel at Turn 2 but quickly recovered to continue his pursuit of Valencia MotoGP pole position.
Bezzecchi’s record lap ultimately secured him his fourth MotoGP pole of the season and his fifth consecutive pole count this season.
The margin was razor-thin as Alex Marquez came in a mere 0.026 seconds behind, with VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio rounding out the front row with strong pace and control.
Full 2025 Valencia MotoGP Qualifying Results
Acosta leads Bezzecchi in Friday’s Valencia MotoGP practice, Bagnaia in Q1
Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez captured an excellent fourth position, while Friday’s practice leader Pedro Acosta narrowly missed the front row and had to settle for fifth, just 0.096 seconds off the pole time.
Meanwhile, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo qualified sixth after he was unable to gain significant time out of the final corner to challenge for a higher spot.
Franco Morbidelli held seventh, and Jack Miller eighth, narrowly ahead of Fermin Aldeguer in ninth as Joan Mir rounded out the top ten on the grid.
Meanwhile, the second half of the grid was led by Johann Zarco and Ai Ogura in 11th and 12th respectively, while Luca Marini led the fifth row starting from 13th.
Honda’s Aleix Espargaro narrowly missed Q2 by qualifying 14th, showing commendable pace ahead of KTM’s Brad Binder and Francesco Bagnaia who endured a disappointing session.
Jorge Martin who was returning from injury could only manage 17th, followed by Yamaha’s Miguel Oliveira and Alex Rins down in 18th and 19th, with Enea Bastianini leading the Tech3 KTM contingent in 20th as his teammate Maverick Vinales took 21st place.
Marc Marquez’s Ducati stand-in Nicolo Bulega took 22nd place on what was his first visit to the Valencia circuit in four years.
Unfortunately, Yamaha wildcard Augusto Fernandez suffered a crash at Turn 6 on his initial qualifying attempt, finishing 23rd, while Somkiat Chantra rounded out the grid in 24th place.
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