Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo claimed his fourth consecutive MotoGP pole at Mugello this afternoon as Ducati locked out the remaining front row ahead of the ItalianGP.

Pecco Bagnaia led Johann Zarco across the line for second and third as the Desmosedici train found the flag in quick succession, Aleix Espargaro securing fourth after fighting his way through from the opening Q1 session.

A delayed MotoGP qualifying began with Enea Bastianini initially leading the way as the first shots were fired. Espargaro claimed second, just 0.033s behind the rookie before Takaaki Nakagami swept through to head the standings with a 1’46.195.

As the 12 riders returned to the pits, it was Yamaha who seemed to be struggling the most. Maverick Viñales sat seventh with Valentino Rossi currently facing a heartbreaking last place start at his home Grand Prix.

Cloud covered the Tuscan circuit as the final four minutes began, Marc Marquez following Viñales out of pitlane as the mind games played out, the new father unable to drop the pursuing Honda as the bickering continued over the next couple of minutes, with Alex Marquez tagging on to the train as the hot-lap fired up.

Marc claimed P1 as Viñales took second, the Honda rolling out as the M1 continued at speed for a second attempt. It was needed as Espargaro’s final attempt dropped the Yamaha out of Q2 contention as he claimed second but the desperately wanted improvement failed to materialise with the Monster rider running wide at the final corner.

Viñales will start Sunday’s 23-lap race from 13th on the grid with Bastianini and Nakagami alongside while Michele Pirro heads Luca Marini and Danilo Petrucci on row six. Having completed Q1 in ninth place, Rossi takes charge of row seven alongside Iker Lecuona and Lorenzo Savadori with the younger Marquez losing out in the earlier battle and rounding out the standings at the back.

The threat of potential rain hovered in the air as green lights released the Q2 action, the pack looking skywards as they immediately set about the job at hand.

Jack Miller took charge as the opening laps registered, Espargaro’s Aprilia sitting between the two Ducatis as Bagnaia joined his teammate, with the trio separated by a mere 0.14s. Quartararo claimed fourth from the pair of Suzukis before Brad Binder pushed his way into fifth.

Espargaro was back on the move aboard the RSGP, taking provisional pole with a 1’45.651 before Quartararo denied the Spaniard by almost two-tenths. The factory Ducatis remained in third and fourth from Alex Rins, Binder, Miguel Oliveira and Joan Mir while Pol Espargaro sat ninth as the group returned to the pits for fresh rubber. Franky Morbidelli, Zarco and Marquez holding 10th to 12th respectively as the action resumed for the final five minute frenzy.

Quartararo looked to consolidate his pole sitting pace as he improved again with a 1’46.187, Oliveira setting his cap at a front row start as he moved up to third before his teammate deposed him by 0.002s. The Ducatis began their fight back as the chequered flag came out. Miller followed his teammate as Bagnaia claimed second, Zarco utilising the slipstream of the factory pair to steal third with Aleix Espargaro in fourth and the Australian was forced to settle for fifth. The KTM’s completed their Mugello qualifying in sixth and seventh ahead of the Suzukis of Rins and Mir with Morbidelli coming home in front of the remaining Repsol Hondas of Marquez and Espargaro.