Jorge Martin dominated the MotoGP qualifying session at the Losail International Circuit, breaking the lap record and securing the pole position for the 2024 season. Martin’s impressive speed throughout the weekend was evident as he set the second fastest time in practice, securing a spot in Q2. Determined to assert his dominance, Martin delivered an impressive lap time of 1:50.789s.
This put him with a 0.230s advantage over Fabio Di Gianantonio from VR46, who had won the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023. As the final laps began, several riders seemed poised to challenge Martin’s lead position, with many setting their best times in the sectors.
Defending world champion Francesco Bagnaia seemed ready to surpass his rival from the previous season, but a mistake in the penultimate corner limited him to second place. Bagnaia was then pushed down in the rankings as other riders improved their times, especially Aleix Espargaro.
Espargaro finished just 0.083s behind Martin, securing second place on the grid. However, the other contenders for the pole position fell back as they completed their laps. Martin, riding for Pramac Ducati, saved his final attempt for the last moment, but any chance of improvement was thwarted when Brad Binder from KTM crashed in front of him.
Nevertheless, Martin’s earlier effort was enough to secure the pole position, with Espargaro impressively taking second place for Aprilia. Enea Bastianini surpassed his teammate Bagnaia to complete the front row, while Binder’s strong performance placed him ahead of the reigning champion in fourth place.
Marc Marquez, representing Gresini, secured sixth place, followed by Di Gianantonio in seventh. Rookie Pedro Acosta continued to make a strong impression, claiming eighth place on the grid in his first races in the premier class. Alex Marquez, riding for Gresini, finished ninth, while Maverick Vinales from Aprilia completed the top ten.
Jack Miller and Raul Fernandez, both advancing from Q1 to the pole position shootout, completed the 12 riders in Q2. Johann Zarco came very close to securing a spot in the shootout, finishing just 0.011s behind Miller. However, Zarco still has a good chance to progress from 13th on the grid. Miguel Oliveira from Trackhouse Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi from VR46 struggled for pace, putting them behind in the pack.
Fabio Quartararo only managed 16th place on his Yamaha, while his teammate Alex Rins faced mechanical issues during his warm-up lap and will start from 20th position. Joan Mir was the highest-placed factory Honda rider in 17th, but missed the chance to improve after crashing at Turn 16. Luca Marini had a tough weekend, finishing 21st, just ahead of Franco Morbidelli from Pramac.
