Marco Bezzecchi, an Italian motorcycle racer, claimed pole position at the Italian Grand Prix held in Mugello. Bezzecchi, who had been the fastest in all three practice sessions, beat Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia and his own teammate Luca Marini to secure the top spot. The Pramac Ducati team faced issues with Johann Zarco wheeling a hobbled bike away from the track and Jorge Martin losing control of his bike at Turn 5 hairpin. However, Zarco and Martin progressed through Q1 and continued with their session. Bezzecchi set a benchmark time of 1m31.874s, which proved good enough for pole position, withstanding Bagnaia’s effort of 1m31.704s moments later. Marini completed the front row despite ending his session in the gravel after dropping his VR46 Ducati.
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Bezzecchi set the pace from the beginning of the session, and his nearest challenger was Bagnaia, who was almost two tenths behind and had run a hard front tyre. As the riders headed back out for a final flurry of laps, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo laid down the first serious time with a 1m31.770s. However, Bezzecchi hit back with a 1m31.472s four minutes from the end, which proved good enough for pole position.
Marini set a 1m31.630s lap to complete the front row, but he ended his session in the gravel after dropping his VR46 Ducati. This meant yellow flags were a feature at the end of the session, helping Bezzecchi to keep his place at the top. Quartararo, who had shown some decent pace in FP3, came in fourth-fastest, an encouraging starting position in the context of the team’s year.
Brad Binder was fifth for KTM, with the Aprilia pairing of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales next up. The Pramac Ducatis had to make do with eighth and tenth positions following their early strife, with Zarco ahead of Martin. They will be split on the grid by Alex Marquez’s Gresini Ducati. Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira will start 11th after also following Zarco through Q1, while Jack Miller was a disappointing 12th for KTM, the Australian unable to improve on his first run in the 15-minute session.
Marc Marquez fell with just a minute to go, which brought out yellow flags in sector one and disturbed the late attacks by other riders in Q1. The fall means Marquez will start 17th on the grid. On his return to the works Honda team as a replacement for the injured Joan Mir, Iker Lecuona will start 22nd.
Bezzecchi claimed pole position at the Italian Grand Prix held in Mugello and beat Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia and his own teammate Luca Marini. Despite the Pramac Ducati team facing early strife, Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin progressed through Q1 and continued with their session. Quartararo delivered on the promise of some decent pace in FP3 by coming in fourth-fastest.
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