Di Giannantonio Clinches Pole in Brazil
Fabio Di Giannantonio from the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team showcased an impressive performance in the Q2 session in Brazil, advancing from Q1 to secure pole position despite crashing on a lap that could have recorded an even quicker time. His fastest lap of 1:17.410 places him at the top of the grid, just ahead of fellow Q1 participant Marco Bezzecchi from Aprilia Racing. Marc Marquez from the Ducati Lenovo Team finished third after a fall on his initial run, a fate shared by several others.
Fabio Quartararo Shines in Q2
Another noteworthy performance came from Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, who managed to qualify fourth and lead Row 2 in the new V4-powered YZR-M1 during its second full-time Grand Prix appearance.
Q1: Bezzecchi’s Dominance
In Q1, there was immediate drama as Luca Marini from Honda HRC Castrol crashed within the first few minutes, thankfully unscathed. Bezzecchi also faced pressure after a crash during FP2 but quickly topped the time sheets early in Q1. Although he experienced a runoff later, he rejoined and maintained his lead, logging the fastest lap of the day.
Q2: Intense Competition
Q2 kicked off with more dramatic moments starting with Francesco Bagnaia, who skidded off at Turn 9, while Championship leader Pedro Acosta from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing swiftly made his way off track, hitching a ride from his teammate Mika Kallio back to the paddock. Shortly after, Marquez fell at the same spot, intensifying the battle for a better position.
Final Minutes of Q2
Despite the chaos, Di Giannantonio held a narrow lead over Marquez. Acosta was in seventh, and Bagnaia hadn’t set a time yet due to his earlier crash. As the session progressed, Bezzecchi pushed into the second position, closing in on Di Giannantonio, while Jorge Martin from Aprilia Racing moved into fourth.
Qualifying Results
In a surprising turn, Di Giannantonio improved his time, but disaster struck for Martin, who crashed out with no time left to recover. Other riders faced challenges with the yellow flags as the countdown continued. Quartararo delivered a near-miraculous performance, finishing just 0.151 seconds shy of pole in fourth place. Ultimately, Di Giannantonio’s standout effort earned him pole position ahead of Bezzecchi and Marquez.
Grid Line-Up
Following Di Giannantonio, the grid features Bezzecchi and Marquez in the front row. Quartararo leads the second row, closely followed by Martin and Ai Ogura from Trackhouse MotoGP Team taking P6. Fermin Aldeguer returns from injury in P7, with Alex Marquez in eighth. Acosta’s P9 will require significant effort to maintain his championship lead. Johann Zarco rounded out the top ten, with Bagnaia starting from P11.
