Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia claimed his first MotoGP pole position of 2022 with an all-time record at Jerez circuit - Angel Nieto.
The Italian was back to his best, despite the lingering shoulder injury from last weekend, as he set the 1’36.170 lap on his sixth of eight in the afternoon shootout, bettering provisional pole sitter Fabio Quartararo by almost half a second to deny the Monster Energy man his fifth in succession at the Spanish track. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro completing the celebrations for his third front row start of the season.
Suzuki’s Alex Rins faced the Q1 battle once again as the Andalucian qualifying action took to the 4.4km track on Saturday afternoon. KTM’s Brad Binder and Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro joining the fight from the two promotion places as the initial laps registered with Rins sitting in third. Tech3 rookie Remy Gardner claimed fourth with his first Q1 effort, heading Johann Zarco and Franky Morbidelli.
Marco Bezzecchi continued his impressive weekend in Spain as the next rider to strike for third before the Pramac of Zarco displaced him and Rins struck for the lead of the session with a 1’37.478. The second KTM of Miguel Oliveira yet to set a time due to a technical issue at the halfway stage.
Espargaro was the first to fire up as the final runs prepared, the HRC man pushing with a 1’37.138 to take control until Bezzecchi stunned 0.003s ahead - and then crashed out at turn two. Gardner falling at turn one in the final minute as the yellow flags flew again.
Zarco was the man on the move in the dying seconds as he pushed for P1, demoting Espargaro out with Rins meeting the flag in fourth. Binder completing the fifth row for Sunday’s grid from fifth in Q1 ahead of Morbidelli, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Gardner. Luca Marini, wildcard Stefan Bradl and Oliveira rounded out row six with Alex Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Lorenzo Savadori and Darryn Binder completing the field.
Q2 kicked off with a turn one crash for Pramac’s Jorge Matin as Marc Marquez trailed Bagnaia around the tight layout. Quartararo won out in the initial shuffle as the first hot laps registered with Espargaro’s RS-GP splitting the Lenovo Ducatis of Bagnaia and Jack Miller in the top four. Marquez captured fifth after tailing the Desmosedici with Zarco into sixth. Suzuki’s Joan Mir cutting a solitary figure in seventh ahead of Enea Bastianini, Takaaki Nakagami, Bezzecchi, Maverick Viñales and the fallen Martin.
Round two and Bagnaia was on provisional pole with a blistering 1’36.170 lap as Mir crashed out at the opening corner. Miller striking for the front row, on the other side of the Yamaha champion, as Gresini’s Bastianini was the next to succumb to the Jerez track.
Espargaro’s final effort dumped the Australian off the front row as he claimed third, seven-tenths away from the Italian out front, with Marquez in fifth. Zarco’s late push finding sixth at the flag from Nakagami with Bezzecchi bettering the 2020 Champion on row three and Martin, Bastianini and Viñales completing the set in 10th to 12th.
