MotoGP Thailand GP: Marco Bezzecchi beats Marc Marquez to pole regardless of late crash

Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi claimed pole place for MotoGP’s season-opening Thailand Grand Prix regardless of crashing late on in qualifying.

Bezzecchi was on the right track to enhance his early Q2 benchmark on his ultimate flying lap, however misplaced his manufacturing unit RS-GP whereas path braking for Flip 12.

Commercial

Though his earlier effort was fractionally slower than the outright circuit report he had set in Friday observe, he held on to pole place by simply 0.035s from Ducati’s Marc Marquez.

In the beginning of qualifying, Bezzecchi carried over the superb type he had proven earlier in Buriram, breaking the 1m29s barrier on his first flying lap earlier than pulling additional clear with a time of 1m28.652s.

His manufacturing unit Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin additionally went below the 1m29s degree to go second, whereas Fernandez got here from Q1 on the Trackhouse Aprilia to go third-quickest.

Commercial

At this stage, Ducati wasn’t even Aprilia’s closest challenger on the leaderboard, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta holding fourth place forward of the Marquez brothers.

However reigning world champion Marc Marquez responded on his second run to mount a severe problem towards pre-qualifying favorite Bezzecchi. After lighting up the timing screens with a string of quickest sectors, he appeared set to go to the highest, solely to fall simply brief with a 1m28.687s.

In the meantime, Fernandez claimed third together with his earlier effort of 1m28.876s, making certain two Aprilias on the entrance row of the grid.

Commercial

VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio was the quickest Ducati rider after the primary run, however in the end completed in fourth place forward of Martin, who ran over the gravel on his ultimate flying lap.

Acosta slipped to sixth within the ultimate order, however was nonetheless comfortably the quickest KTM rider on the grid, about 4 tenths off pole place.

Alex Marquez wound up seventh on the Gresini Ducati, whereas Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura made it 4 Aprilias inside the highest eight.

The highest 10 was rounded out by VR46 rider Fabio di Giannantonio and Honda’s Joan Mir. Brad Binder (KTM) and Johann Zarco (LCR) accomplished the Q2 runners.

Commercial

Bagnaia eradicated in Q1

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia was the highest-profile casualty in Q1, the Italian slumping to thirteenth on the grid after an error-strewn qualifying session.

The 2-time MotoGP champion sat third after the opening run, however a change to recent comfortable tyres didn’t ship an enchancment as he ran broad on all three of his subsequent flying laps.

He’ll line up on the fifth row of the grid alongside manufacturing unit Honda rider Luca Marini and rookie Diogo Moreira, the latter impressing on his MotoGP debut to qualify fifteenth.

Commercial

Fabio Quartararo led Yamaha’s cost in sixteenth place, however was greater than 9 tenths adrift of the quickest Q1 time set by Fernandez.

Three-time World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu will begin his first MotoGP race from twenty first on the grid, whereas Fermin Aldeguer’s stand-in Michele Pirro (Gresini) will full the 22-bike grid.

MotoGP Thailand GP: Q2 resultsMotoGP Thailand GP: Q1 outcomes:Photographs from Thailand GP – SaturdayBrad Binder, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing

Brad Binder, Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing

Steve Wobser / Getty Photographs

Commercial

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Enea Bastianini, Pink Bull KTM Tech 3 Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

Enea Bastianini, Pink Bull KTM Tech 3

Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Marc Marquez, Ducati Group Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Marc Marquez, Ducati Group

Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Marc Marquez, Ducati Group Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Marc Marquez, Ducati Group

Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group

Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group

Mirco Lazzari GP / Getty Photographs

Commercial

Diogo Moreira, Group LCR Honda Diogo Moreira, Team LCR Honda

Diogo Moreira, Group LCR Honda

Gold and Goose Images / LAT Photographs / through Getty Photographs

Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing

Qian Jun / MB Media / Getty Photographs

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Mirco Lazzari GP / Getty Photographs

Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing

Mirco Lazzari GP / Getty Photographs

Steve Sargent, Triumph Chief Product Officer, Alfonso Cartujo, MotoGP Sporting Director

Mirco Lazzari GP / Getty Photographs

Davide Brivio, Group Principal Trackhouse Racing, Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO Davide Brivio, Team Principal Trackhouse Racing, Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO