VIDEO: MotoGP: Heavy crash for Marc Marquez, pole position and track record for Francesco Bagnaia at the San Marino Grand Prix

Marc Marquez a chuté à quatre minutes de la fin des qualifications. EFE – David Fernandez

Vainqueur du dernier Grand prix, le pilote espagnol est sorti de la piste lors des qualifications du Grand prix de Saint-Marin, samedi 7 septembre. 

The weekends follow one another and are not alike for star Marc Marquez. Winner last weekend in Aragon of his first GP since 2021, the Spaniard will only start 9th on the grid this weekend. He crashed with less than four minutes to go in qualifying, ruining his chances of battling for pole position.

It is Italy's Francesco Bagnaia, second in the MotoGP world championship, who will start in the lead in the sprint race on Saturday and the San Marino Grand Prix, round 13 of the MotoGP world championship on Sunday, after setting the best time in qualifying.

Bagnaia in the right rhythm

On the Italian circuit of Misano – and in the heat – the reigning champion recovered the circuit lap record in the process. “The pace was super good, the feeling on the bike was great even if physically I'm not yet at 100% of my abilities”, he reacted, a few moments after having secured his second pole of the season.

Bagnaia, who is still recovering from his fall during the Aragon GP last Sunday, will start ahead of two of his compatriots – Franco Morbidelli (Ducati-Pramac) and Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati-VR46) – on the starting grid of the sprint race at 3pm on Saturday, and on the starting grid of the GP (2pm) on Sunday.

Championship leader Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) will start 4th, ahead of his Spanish compatriot Pedro Acosta (GasGas-Tech3), 5th. Overall, 23 points separate Bagnaia from the leader Martin (299 points against 276). With 37 points to be distributed this weekend, Bagnaia, riding his factory Ducati, can mathematically overtake Martin, who rides for the Italian firm's satellite team.

Quartararo will start in 10th position

Third in the championship, Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) will start 10th, his best qualifying result since the French GP in May. Riding his modest Honda-LCR, the other Frenchman entered in MotoGP, Johann Zarco, will start from a distant 16th place.