What’s eight tenths between rivals? The Gresini rider pulls out a stunning margin at MotorLand to make it the biggest gap in a dry qualifying session since 2011.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) stormed to pole position on Saturday morning at the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragon, setting a sensational 1:46.766 to pull a stunning 0.840s clear of the pack. It’s the largest pole margin in dry conditions since the 2011 Valencia Grand Prix, where it was 1.014s in favour of Casey Stoner at the front. Gauntlet thrown.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will start second after battling through from Q1 and pinching P2 on his final lap in Q2, with the rookie placing just ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The reigning Champion will start the Aragon GP from third on the grid, just ahead of his main title rival, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). The #89 was relegated to fourth after a crash on his first run forced him into recovery mode on his second exit.
Q1
2022 MotorLand winner Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was on for a provisional place in Q2 until right at the end, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking over on top ahead of Acosta to relegate the ‘Beast’. It then got one worse for Bastianini as Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) improved on his final dash too, taking third in Q1. Binder and Acosta moved through, but Bez pips the Beast to P13.
Q2
As the fight for pole began, the early drama came from Martin and the early benchmark to beat from Marc Marquez. The #89 slid off at Turn 5 and found himself running back to the box to try and reset as the #93 at the top of the timesheets only continued to up the volume on the Jaws music.
The #93’s time would stand until the closing minutes, proving not only a benchmark but a ballpark no other rider could get near. It was then suddenly beaten, but by… Marc Marquez as he then managed to get down into the 1:46s.
The fight for the front row was not over yet, however, with Martin returning to the track and setting a strong time, just before Bagnaia and Acosta both improved on their final laps. The rookie and the reigning Champion relegated Martin to fourth, but it’s a solid starting position considering the tougher start to the Q2 session for the Championship contender.
THE GRID
Behind the eight-time World Champion, the rookie and the reigning Champion, it’s Martin heading the resistance at the head of Row 2, but he has company too: Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) are fifth and sixth.
Binder didn’t quite capitalise on his place in Q2 as much as Acosta managed to, but the South African heads Row 3 in seventh in a solid position to launch an attack. The Austrian battalion turned the tables somewhat on Aprilia in the differing track conditions following overnight rain, with Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) the lead RS-GP in P8. Teammate Raul Fernandez is ninth, meanwhile the Aprilia Racing duo of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales down in P11 and 12.
Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) continued to shine on Saturday after Friday saw him become the first Honda to get an automatic place in Q2 in 2024. He’ll line up tenth amongst the Aprilia armada.
It’s one thing to qualify on pole, it’s another to win the race. Or the Tissot Sprint. Marquez’ qualifying form looks like he could be on the brink of glory to bring one chapter of his career full circle, but if the sport was a time trial we couldn’t promise the best is still to come, but we’re sure we can.
Tune in for the first ever Sprint at MotorLand Aragon and then come back for more on Sunday as the #93 takes aim at Grand Prix glory 1043 days after he last tasted it.
SATURDAY
TISSOT SPRINT: 15:00 (UTC +2)
SUNDAY
GRAND PRIX: 14:00 (UTC +2)
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