The Italian Francesco Bagnaia is on course to prolong the suspense in the title race given his pole position won this Saturday while the French will only start 15e.
Opportunistic when the opponent sins, the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) took pole position on Saturday in the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna, placing himself ideally to delay the coronation of Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), only 15th on the grid. To be titled for the first time in MotoGP on Sunday, on the Italian circuit of Misano, the 22-year-old Frenchman must keep after the race at least 50 lengths ahead of Bagnaia, his last rival, knowing that he currently has a mattress of 52 units. With so many places to go, it will not be easy for the Frenchman, author of his worst qualifying this year and in difficulty since the start of the weekend when the track begins to dry, between the showers. But good news for “The devil», Which is running after a first title for itself but also for France in the top category of motorcycle speed, the weather looks finally dry during the GP.
«It’s the best way to end my saturday“, Soberly congratulated his Italian rival, himself uncomfortable in the morning but returned to business at the right time to sign his fourth consecutive pole. We cannot blame Bagnaia for not giving 100% to thwart the announced fate of Quartararo, championship leader since May. As a reminder, the Italian has already won ahead of the French on the same circuit in September, in milder weather conditions, during the San Marino GP. His Australian team-mate Jack Miller and his compatriot Luca Marini (Ducati-Avintia) will accompany Bagnaia on the front row on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. For beginner Marini, half-brother of local hero Valentino Rossi, this is the very first qualification in the Top 3.
The second row, unusual due to tricky conditions on a drying track, goes to Spaniard Pol Espargaro (Honda), Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (KTM) and Italian Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha-SRT). Fallen (like many) in the second and final part of qualifying, Spaniard Marc Marquez (Honda) is 7th and Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac), yet among the fastest in free practice, 10th. The KTM-Tech3s of the Spaniard Iker Lecuona and the Italian Danilo Petrucci slip into the Top 10, 8th and 9th respectively. Rossi (Yamaha-SRT), who is playing his last GP at home before retiring at the end of the season, will be 23rd and penultimate on the starting grid.
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