Bezzecchi smashes lap record twice to grab Qatar MotoGP pole from Marquez

LUSAIL - Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi shattered the lap record twice, securing pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday. He completed one lap in 1 minute 50.028 seconds, outpacing Ducati's championship leader Marc Marquez by 0.266 seconds. Marquez's teammate Fabio di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing also secured a front-row start, finishing third fastest.

Bezzecchi expressed his happiness, stating, "Perfect qualifying. I wanted to start in the front row and the pole position is even better. So, very happy." Aprilia's Jorge Martin, the second-placed rider in the championship, was left disappointed as he managed to qualify 11th, more than a second slower than both Bezzecchi and Marquez.

Marquez can clinch the championship in Qatar if he finishes at least 30 points ahead of Martin and eight points ahead of Bezzecchi after Sunday's race. Despite the challenging conditions, Marquez acknowledged the formidable pace of his teammate Bezzecchi, saying, "We know that Marco has another pace this weekend. He's super fast.

We must understand this and try to do our best." The Yamaha factory team and its satellite team Prima Pramac decided not to participate in the Qatar Grand Prix due to company-wide travel restrictions in the region, resulting in only 18 riders on the grid.