Marco Bezzecchi shatters Misano lap record to snatch pole ahead of Marc Marquez
Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) just did something extraordinary on home turf, putting together an absolute showstopper of a lap to claim pole at Misano in stunning style. With a time of 1:29.982, he is now the proud owner of a shiny new lap record as the very first rider to ever crack the 1:29 bracket at the track. It was a proper statement of intent, leaving key rival Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) just under two tenths adrift in second place. Joining them on an impressive front row is Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who managed to fight his way up from Q1.
Getting to that final shootout was no walk in the park for everyone. Q1 brought plenty of tension, not least because big hitters like Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) found themselves fighting to advance after a tricky Friday. Bagnaia had a tough time of it and failed to crack the top two, leaving the door wide open for Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) to take control. After pulling off a stunning save in the first half of the session, Fernandez put down the pace to advance. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) looked secure in second for a good stretch until Aldeguer came charging through in the final stages to swipe the second Q2 transfer spot.
Once Q2 got underway, the drama arrived immediately. Marc Marquez suffered a huge wobble on his first flyer and failed to set a time after exceeding track limits, while Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) found himself on the back foot following a low drama crash. When the second runs started rolling in, Marc Marquez briefly took over the top spot before the timing screens lit up with red sectors. Fabio Di Giannantonio briefly went fastest, but then came Bezzecchi's jaw-dropping benchmark, breaking the 90-second barrier for the first time ever.
After everyone ducked back into the pitlane to reload, the chase was on. Marc Marquez was the first to take aim at the new record, staying in touch until Turn 10 where he ultimately bailed out of the attempt. Another push brought him within a tenth on the next attempt, but he lost two more tenths in the final sector. One final chance slipped away as yellow flags waved for another low drama crash from Alex Marquez, sealing the deal. Nobody had an answer for Bezzecchi's mid-session masterclass.
Behind the front row, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) leads the second row in fourth. Championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) lines up in fifth as he hunts for a return to the podium, just ahead of an impressive Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), who stands tall as top Honda in sixth on his home turf. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) kicks off the third row in seventh, followed by Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in eighth and the twice-crashed Alex Marquez down in ninth. Rounding out the top twelve are Fernandez in tenth, Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) in eleventh, and replacement rider Pol Espargaro—dubbed "the world's fastest TV presenter" by team manager Nico Goyon—starting twelfth for Red Bull KTM Tech3, with Quartararo and Bagnaia slotting in further down the order.
