A champion’s ride from Bagnaia and an incredible return for Marquez sets the stage in Franceiko following an ultra-tight Q2 session
MotoGP™ qualifying was unpredictable right until the final seconds as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) showed us exactly why he has the number 1 plate on his factory Ducati. The Italian will line up on pole position after setting a scintillating 1:30.705, as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) put in an incredible performance on his return to bag 2nd place just 0.058s shy of the top spot. The eight-time World Champion never fails to impress as he’s joined by Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) on the front row.
Heartbreak at home in Q1…
Some big hitters were set for battle as MotoGP™ took to the Le Mans circuit for Q1. The French fans had fingers and toes crossed for their home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energry Yamaha MotoGP™) as the Frenchman was set to compete with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energry Yamaha MotoGP™) for Q2 promotion.
Only two could go through as the 2021 World Champion was determined to put on a show in front of his home crowd. The Frenchman went to the top of the session after the first run, with Luca Marini and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) in hot pursuit.
The riders hit the circuit once again for their second bite at the cherry and their final chance to secure a Q2 spot for a go at pole position. No one expected Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) to threaten the home hero but it was the rookie that made the first move in the second run as the Spaniard went top with just over one minute to go.
Quartararo was riding on the ragged edge as it came to crunch time but the Frenchman missed the mark and failed to improve, leaving the Yamaha man as a sitting duck at his home Grand Prix. Luca Marini smelt blood and the Italian put in a late charge to slot himself just behind Fernandez to knock out Quartararo and join the Spaniard into Q2.
Two Champions; two Champions’ rides
Qualifying is more crucial than ever in MotoGP™ as the riders compete for grid position ahead of the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix, and with uncertain conditions at the French GP, the riders were fully aware of the importance of bagging a…