What a stunning qualifying session we just witnessed on Lombok. Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) has done it, claiming his maiden MotoGP pole position with a gorgeous 1:28.852 lap time to lock down the prime slot for the weekend. And make no mistake, Aprilia is looking frighteningly strong here, securing an Aprilia 1-2 at the spearhead of the grid thanks to Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) finishing just 0.109s adrift of the flying Spaniard.
It was an absolute scramble behind them as a rapid birthday boy spoiled the party for the heavy hitters. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) put in a stellar shift on Saturday morning to muscle his way onto the front row, successfully denying both Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) and Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) a place at the very front.
The opening Q1 session was pure, unadulterated chaos and attrition. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) initially set the pace before Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) briefly went top with a 1:29.729, beating Aldeguer by 0.016s before Aldeguer clawed back P1 by 0.090s. Unfortunately, Ogura's session ended early when he crashed at Turn 12 in the closing stages. Meanwhile, the asphalt was taking victims left and right: Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) crashed on his first flying lap at Turn 1, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) went down at Turn 2 within a second of Zarco, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) hit the deck at Turn 1, and Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) also joined the crash club at the opening corner.
Despite the carnage, Ogura safely kept his top two promotion spot alongside Aldeguer. And let us take a moment for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP). Barely an hour after dislocating his right shoulder in FP2, the incredible Turk dragged his machine out and qualified less than a second off Aldeguer's benchmark in Q1. Chapeau indeed.
When Q2 rolled around, the tension in the title fight ratcheted up to an unbearable level. Martin found himself struggling early on, sitting down in P7 and 0.814s adrift of his teammate. With six minutes left on the clock, the championship leader headed out onto the circuit directly shadowed by Marc Marquez, and despite knowing he was being followed by the seven-time MotoGP World Champion, Martin simply could not shake the #93 from his tailpipes.
Right ahead of that high-profile game of cat-and-mouse, Fernandez dropped his 1:28.852 stunner to grab provisional P1. Bezzecchi looked ready to respond, but his final charge was abruptly halted when Aldeguer crashed at Turn 16, bringing out the yellow flags. Bezzecchi got another bite at the cherry once racing resumed, but an improvement never materialised—perhaps the life had simply drained from that soft rear Michelin rubber. Marc Marquez saw his own front-row hopes evaporate in the second split after posting a session-best first split, leaving the grid locked in a fascinating order.
When the dust settled, Fernandez stood tall on pole, flanked on the front row by Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio. Row 2 is an absolute blockbuster: Marc Marquez will launch from P4, title leader Martin fires away from P5, and 2025 winner Aldeguer goes from P6. Behind them, a recovering Ogura takes P7 ahead of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with the top nine separated by a razor-thin half a second. Rounding out the order, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) fill positions P10, P11, and P12.
With the championship top two trapped off the front row, the stakes for this afternoon's sprint could not possibly be higher.
