The Ducati rider sets a time of 1min30s705, beats the Spaniard by 58 cents and is in the position of honor on the starting grid; Luca Marini starts third
In a closely fought qualifying session, the Italian Francis Bagnaia he only managed to secure pole for the France phase on the last lap. The session was held this Saturday, at the Le Mans circuit, and to overtake the Spaniard’s Honda Marc Marquezthe Ducati rider set a time of 1min30s705surpassing the rival in 0s058. Luke Marino, from VR46 starts third and completes the front row of the grid. The departure will take place this Sunday at 9:00 (Brasilia time).
Reigning champion and leader of the World Drivers’ Championship standings with 87 points, Bagnaia confirmed his good momentum in the competition by restarting in first position. The deputy leader of the tournament, the Italian Marco Bezzecchi, comes out only in seventh place.
The second row sees Jack Miller in fourth position. He will be joined by Jorge Martín in fifth place. Despite the problems in the free practice session, Maverick Viñales was able to get the most out of his bike in the end and eventually secured sixth place.
Who had many difficulties was the French Fabio Quartararo. The Yamaha rider, world champion in 2021, was unable to enter Q2 in the standings and starts in 13th place. He will have to bet on a recovery race to try to get to the top of the group.
The definition of the grid positions started on a dry track. Franco Morbidelli set a time of 1min33s051, but soon that record was broken by Fabio Quartararo with 1min31s897, suggesting that the pace would be more intense with the entry of the other riders.
The attraction in the work to define the grid was the return of Marc Márquez. Absent from the Portuguese round, when he suffered a fracture in his right hand, the Spanish rider showed an excellent performance on his bike, which used a new frame. However, the rain dampened the asphalt and modified the conditions of the race and the drivers had to change their strategy both in the choice of tires and in the care of driving on a wet track.
Maverick Viñales started to stand out and stepped up the fight for the fastest time. In Q2, the Spaniard from Aprilia clocked 1min31s588s, detaching Francesco Bagnaia. Jorge Martín also entered the fight for pole and became a direct rival of Viñales. But it is already in the final stretch of qualifying that the dispute becomes more intense.
Marc Márquez set the fastest time and was followed by Martín, Miller, Bagnaia and Zarco. With 1min30s763 pole seemed assured, until Bagnaia gave his last card and changed the order of the grid. With a sensational lap, he did 1min30s705 and snatched the first position. Luca Marini also accelerated and grabbed a front row seat to secure third place, moving Jack Miller up to fourth.
Check out the starting grid for the stage in France:
1st – Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati), in 1min30s705
2nd – Marc Marquez (ESP/Hondai), in 1min30s763
3rd – Luca Marini (ITA/VR46), in 1min30s842
4th – Jack Miller (AUS/KTM), in 1min30s984
5th – Jorge Martin (ESP / Pramac), in 1min31s023
6th – Maverick Viñales (ESP/Aprilia), in 1min31s120
7th – Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/VR46), in 1min31s173
8th – Alex Marquez (ESP/Gresini), in 1min31s275
9th – Johann Zarco (FRA / Pramac), in 1min31s298
10th – Brad Binder (AFS/KTM), in 1min31s445
11th – Aleix Espargaró (ESP/Aprilia), in 1min31s523
12th – Augusto Fernández (ESP/KTN), in 1min31s596
13th – Fabio Quartararo (FRA / Yamaha), in 1min31s366
14th – Takaaki Nakagami (JAP/LCR Honda), in 1min31s545
15th – Fabio Di Gianantonio (ITA/Gresini), in 1min31s718
16th – Joan Mir (ESP/Repsol Honda), in 1min31s810
17th – Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha), in 1min31s886
18th – Alex Rins (ESP/LCR Honda), in 1min31s959
19th – Danilo Pettrucci (ITA/Ducati), in 1min32s092
20th – Lorenzo Savadori (ITA/Aprilia), in 1min32s410
21 – Jonas Folger (ALE/GasGas), in 1min33s605
Source: Terra
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