Marco Bezzecchi shatters the Mugello lap record for home pole

It is absolutely insane what Marco Bezzecchi just did. The Championship leader went out and ripped the first-ever 1’43 lap of Mugello, stopping the clock at 1’43.921. It is a masterclass, and it brings pole position back to the Aprilia Racing camp for the first time at this circuit since Tetsuya Harada in 1999.

The session was a proper fight, especially in Q1 where Raul Fernandez and Pedro Acosta had to scrap for their spots in the final shootout. Fernandez managed to squeeze through, effectively pushing Ai Ogura out by a mere 0.087s. It set the stage for a dramatic Q2 where, for a while, the Aprilia machines looked untouchable, occupying the top three spots halfway through the session.

When the final runs arrived, the pressure was immense. Francesco Bagnaia tried to rally for the Ducati Lenovo Team, but the spotlight stayed on Bezzecchi. Even a late charge from Marc Marquez—who was over a tenth and a half up before hitting traffic behind Acosta—couldn't stop the #72. With Fernandez taking second and 2024 World Champion Jorge Martin third, it was a stunning day for the Noale factory. The grid is set, and the tension for the sprint is already palpable.