Bagnaia storms to first pole of season at Czech MotoGP
Bagnaia crossed the line with the fastest time of one minute and 52.303 seconds in mostly sunny conditions in Brno, with Marquez qualifying second and Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo completing the front row.
Marquez was chasing an eighth pole of the season but slid into the gravel in the final minutes of second qualifying.
"I want to say thanks to my team - they did a fantastic job when I stopped for a little moment. We just did a little adjustment," Bagnaia said.
"It will be tricky for the tyres this afternoon," he added, referring to the Czech MotoGP sprint later on Saturday.
Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin marked his return to qualifying with a 12th-place finish after missing 10 of the 11 rounds because of injuries.
Wrist and ankle injuries suffered in a pre-season crash had ruled the 27-year-old Martin out of the first three rounds before another crash in his first race on board the Aprilia bike in Qatar in April led to a collapsed lung and bruised ribs.
VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio, fourth in the riders' championship, will start 13th on the grid after finishing third in qualifying one.
Marquez leads the riders' championship table with 344 points, with his younger brother Alex second on 261.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
Ducati's Marquez wins Czech GP sprint after penalty scare
Ducati's Marc Marquez took a record-extending 11th sprint win of the MotoGP season at the Czech Grand Prix on Saturday, but the Spaniard's celebrations were briefly put on hold during an investigation for tyre pressure infringements. Marquez and factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia were both forced to slow down during the race and surrender first and second place due to low tyre pressure, or risk incurring an eight-second penalty. Six-times champion Marquez relinquished his lead but was able to overtake KTM's Pedro Acosta with two laps remaining and cross the finish line first. Asked if he had done enough to avoid a penalty, Marquez said: 'Yeah, we did it. For that reason, I'm smiling. So it's true that it was super towards the limit. And yeah, we're riding comfortable. Marc Marquez celebrates. 'Then I saw that the pressure was not enough. I tried to push some laps on the brakes, but I saw that was too much risk to get on that correct pressure. And then I decided to wait. 'I just stayed super close to Acosta to increase the temperature. And then when I saw the temperature was already inside the rules, pressure was inside the rules, then I pushed in the last few laps.' MotoGP confirmed that no further action would be taken against Marquez. He leads the riders' championship table with 356 points, with his second-placed younger brother Alex, who finished 17th after a disastrous start, 95 points behind on 261. KTM-Tech3's Enea Bastiani, who missed the previous round with appendicitis, ended in third at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. Marc Marquez (first left) followed by Francesco Bagnaia compete in Brno, Czech Republic on Saturday. AFP For Acosta, it was a first sprint podium since Aragon 2024. 'Well, this is a season where we were struggling so much. And now I see all these people celebrating. You know, it was super tough,' the 21-year-old said. 'It was the darkest beginning of a season in my life. Being on the podium again is super nice. Thanks to all of KTM, all the guys that are at home supporting me.' Pole-sitter Bagnaia finished seventh after he was overtaken by Trackhouse Aprilia rider Raul Fernandez in the final lap. Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin ended 11th on his return to competition after suffering a collapsed lung and bruised ribs in a crash in Qatar in April. Reuters
Dubai Eye
5 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Bagnaia storms to first pole of season at Czech MotoGP
Twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia claimed his first pole position of the season at the Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix on Saturday, edging out Ducati teammate Marc Marquez, who crashed on his final qualifying lap. Bagnaia crossed the line with the fastest time of one minute and 52.303 seconds in mostly sunny conditions in Brno, with Marquez qualifying second and Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo completing the front row. Marquez was chasing an eighth pole of the season but slid into the gravel in the final minutes of second qualifying. "I want to say thanks to my team - they did a fantastic job when I stopped for a little moment. We just did a little adjustment," Bagnaia said. "It will be tricky for the tyres this afternoon," he added, referring to the Czech MotoGP sprint later on Saturday. Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin marked his return to qualifying with a 12th-place finish after missing 10 of the 11 rounds because of injuries. Wrist and ankle injuries suffered in a pre-season crash had ruled the 27-year-old Martin out of the first three rounds before another crash in his first race on board the Aprilia bike in Qatar in April led to a collapsed lung and bruised ribs. VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio, fourth in the riders' championship, will start 13th on the grid after finishing third in qualifying one. Marquez leads the riders' championship table with 344 points, with his younger brother Alex second on 261.
Gulf Today
5 days ago
- Gulf Today
Martin returns to MotoGP racing at revamped Brno
Reigning world champion Jorge Martin of Spain will return to racing at the Czech MotoGP this weekend as the Brno circuit hosts its first grand prix since 2020. Marc Marquez is threatening to run away with the title after four straight wins, which have allowed the Spaniard to open up a sizeable gap at the top. The 32-year-old factory Ducati rider has 344 points after 11 of 22 races, and he has won both the sprint and the main race on seven occasions. His younger brother Alex, on a Gresini Ducati, is second with 261 points, ahead of Marc's Italian teammate Francesco Bagnaia -- the 2022 and 2023 world champion -- with 197. But it is Martin, who has yet to score his first point this season, that will likely steal the limelight on the circuit in the second Czech city of Brno. Martin sat out the first three races following two pre-season crashes and when he returned at Qatar in April, he crashed heavily again and missed the next seven races. 'I feel prepared. In terms of the physical condition, I feel better than any time in my life for sure,' the 27-year-old Martin said having recovered from 11 broken ribs. 'I took profit of this time off to work on my performance, and I feel I am a better and more prepared rider now,' he added. 'I don't want to speculate on results... What I can say is that I'm here to compete, I'm not here to make laps. I'm here to do my best.' Martin also said on Thursday he would stay with Aprilia for the 2026 season, dispelling doubts about his future. He had been at odds with the Italian manufacturer after initially saying he intended to activate a release clause in his contract at the end of the season. Brno is returning to the MotoGP calendar for the first time since 2020 after years of financial woes. 'Two seconds faster:' Marquez, who stretched his championship lead after a perfect weekend at the Sachsenring in Germany, hailed Martin's return. 'Good for MotoGP, good for the championship, good for Aprilia and especially good for him to be back on track,' he told 'Of course it will take time. You never know with Martin, but he will be fast in the second part of the season.' Agence France-Presse
