Tuscany [Italy], May 31 (ANI): Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) delivered a masterclass at Mugello, setting a new lap record and becoming the first rider to clock a 1'43 at the iconic Italian circuit with a 1'43.921. It was also his first pole position since Buriram, as the #72 topped Q1 graduate Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and 2024 World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) on the grid, according to a press release from MotoGP/Eurosport.

Pressure was in Q1, particularly for those high up the order in the Championship such as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Trackhouse MotoGP Team duo Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez. Three riders into two graduation places for Q2 doesn't fit, so someone was going to be disappointed. Acosta's benchmark of 1'44.765 was beaten late on by Fernandez and whilst Ogura was aiming to hook up a lap time and had plenty of red sectors, he couldn't put it all together and it was the Japanese star who missed out by just 0.087s. Acosta and Fernandez joined the top ten from Friday afternoon for the pole shootout.

In Q2, it was straight down business as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) led a train of riders - including his teammate Marc Marquez right behind - on their opening lap but the threat was coming from elsewhere on the track as Jorge Martin's opening gambit was a 1'44.284. 'The Martinator's lap was just over a tenth away from the all-time lap record, whilst at the halfway stage of the session it was Aprilias in first, second and third, Fernandez and Bezzecchi backing up the 2024 World Champion's early pace.

With second runs commencing, Pecco had broke clear and was lapping on his own; down in P10, he needed a lap time and was setting red sectors - as were the others. The timing screen lit up with pole challenges and with the fresh rubber locked and loaded, we were in for a grandstand finish to Q2.

Bagnaia went P4 but all eyes were on Bezzecchi who put together an astonishing lap. The first-ever 1'43 on a motorcycle at Mugello, he'd pulled over two tenths clear of the rest with less than two minutes on the clock. But that means there's still time... Who else could possibly ruin the Championship leader's homecoming? Marc Marquez was up by over a tenth and a half halfway round the lap but caught up behind Acosta, he couldn't get up to the front row and had to settle for fourth.

Nobody could lay a glove on Bezzecchi or Aprilia, with the Noale factory running riot and ruling the roost at home. The #72 secured pole for the first time since Buriram and gave Aprilia a first pole at Mugello since Tetsuya Harada in 1999. Q2 graduate Fernandez bagged second on the grid whilst Martin settled for third, 0.363s off his teammate.

Heading up the second row of the grid, a mighty comeback from Marc Marquez as the #93 looks to fight for victory. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was fifth at the flag, his first top five on the grid since his Grand Prix-winning weekend in Indonesia when he started second, whilst Bagnaia rallied to sixth for his home GP.

Behind, Barcelona victor Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was seventh and couldn't hook a full lap up and came into the sessions off the back of a technical issue in FP2. Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) took a career-best eighth and became the first Brazilian since Alex Barros in 2007 to qualify in the top ten. Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) completes the third row, Acosta completes the top ten and heads up row four ahead of Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in 11th and 12th respectively. (ANI)