Bezzecchi smashes San Marino lap record to take pole ahead of Marquez

Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi shattered the all-time lap record at the Misano World Circuit in San Marino, setting a new benchmark and securing pole position for the upcoming San Marino Grand Prix. Bezzecchi achieved a lap time of 1:29.982, breaking the one-minute and 30-second barrier. The Italian rider acknowledged the challenging qualifying session, mentioning the difficulty in maintaining focus due to numerous yellow flags.

Bezzecchi reported an incident where LCR Honda's Johann Zarco obstructed him, and the stewards stated they were investigating the matter. Meanwhile, Marquez, seeking to improve upon his previous performance, attempted to set faster times but ultimately pulled out due to the risk of exceeding track limits. VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the top four, while championship leader Jorge Martin placed fifth.

Martin leads the overall standings with 256 points, followed by Marquez with 237 points and Bezzecchi in third place with 232 points. KTM's Pedro Acosta, VR46 Racing's Franco Morbidelli, and Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez will start on the third row, while Francesco Bagnaia, who previously held the Misano lap record, will start 14th after failing to advance from Q1 to Q2.