Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia claimed his maiden MotoGP pole position in sensation style this evening, breaking the all-time-lap record at the Losail International Circuit with a 1’52.772 stunner.

A frenzied Q2 session saw a number of frontrunners take their turn at the top of the times before the Ducati youngster claimed the spoils in the closing minutes. Despite missing the pole, Yamaha put on an equally dominant performance as the Japanese manufacturer locked out the rest of the front row, Fabio Quartararo leading Maverick VIńales with Valentino Rossi narrowly behind in fourth.

MotoGP qualifying began with Joan Mir taking on a gaggle of rookies as they battled for the two promotion places into the all-important pole shootout. Jorge Martin was quick to impress, setting a 1’53.840 on his opening effort as Mir and Alex Marquez looked to hit back. The World Champion sailed into the lead as he completed his third lap with Martin looking to better his first attempt before the lap fell away in the final sector.

It was Takaaki Nakagami who took initial team honours by placing his LCR into third 0.05 ahead of Marquez as Enea Bastianini held fifth from the KTM duo of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder. Luca Marini circulated in eighth as the final five minutes began while Stefan Bradl headed the Tech3’s of Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona with Lorenzo Savadori 1.4seconds back in 12th.

The final flourish saw Bastianini fastest with a 1’53.733 before Mir took the reins by a mere 0.005. The Italian tried to improve but it wasn’t to be, with Martin also losing his hot-lap with a fall at turn 12. There was further heartbreak for the Avintia rider as Nakagami dumped him out of the promotion zone, the Japanese rider’s 1’53.577 effort taking the first session, as Mir joined him in the rise to Q2.

Bastianini and Martin will start Sunday’s race from the head of the fifth row with Oliveira for company, as Marquez, Bradl and Marini line up behind. Binder, Petrucci and Lecuona round out the row seven spots with no KTM representation in the final qualifying, while Savadori cuts a solitary figure at the back in 22nd.

The 12-rider shootout saw Pecco Bagnaia claim a new lap record with only his opening shot, using VR46 boss to slipstream across the line for a 1’53.273. Monster Energy’s Quartararo and VIńales held second and third before Franky Morbidelli overtook the pair with a ’53.3.

A frenetic few seconds ensued as the top-spot changed hands repeatedly, Vińales, Jack Miller and Quartararo all taking their turn to lead, with the Frenchman holding fast as the pack returned to the pits, 1’53.038 now the time to beat.

The midsession lull saw Morbidelli in fifth from Aleix Espargaro and top-speed record-holder Johann Zarco - the Frenchman having reached 362.4km/h (225mph) during the preceding FP4 outing. Suzuki’s Mir and Alex Rins sat eighth and ninths with Nakagami leading Rossi and Pol Espargaro into the closing three minutes.

Vińales was the first to pounce, hitting second with a minute left on the clock but Bagnaia was on mission, securing the first ever ’52 around the Qatar circuit. Quartararo outperformed his teammate to take second at the flag with Rossi putting in a stellar performance for third. The Doctor’s celebrations, however, were short lived as his ex-teammate hit back to steal the position.

A disappointed Miller was forced to settle for fifth as his 1’53.215 failed to impact the Yamaha lockout ahead, with Zarco sitting narrowly behind in sixth. Morbidelli starts Sunday’s 22-lap contest from the head of row three, in seventh, with Aprilia’s captain and Rins for company while Mir, Nakagami and the younger Espargaro complete the top-12.