Alex Marquez will start this afternoon’s Catalan MotoGP Sprint from pole position after a blistering qualifying run saw the Gresini rider set a new lap record at Barcelona.
The younger Marquez held off Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo by 0.378s, while older brother and runaway title leader Marc had to settle for third as he targets a 15th consecutive victory.
Marc, only sixth at the midway stage, looked visibly frustrated as he gave feedback to his crew before heading out for a tow. His first attempt was thwarted by Alex, who was fending off Pedro Acosta’s late challenge. Acosta briefly snatched pole but lost his best time for track limits, leaving the Marquez brothers to sweep the front row.
Quartararo, who topped Q1 with a record-breaking 1m37s lap, split the siblings to secure Yamaha’s best qualifying of the year.
There was disaster for Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, as the former champion slumped to 20th on the grid, with team manager Davide Tardozzi unable to hide his frustration.
Elsewhere, Tech3’s Maverick Vinales makes his second comeback attempt following a Sachsenring shoulder injury, while LCR rookie Somkiat Chantra returns after missing several rounds with knee ligament damage.
Aleix Espargaro, who famously won the 2023 Catalan GP, lines up as a home wild-card entry for Honda after recovering from a cycling back injury. Aprilia also fields Lorenzo Savadori on a fifth RS-GP.
The 12-lap Sprint gets underway at 3pm local time, with Alex Marquez looking to turn his pole momentum into victory on home soil.
