MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi takes pole despite crash, Quartararo last

VR46 Ducati rider Bezzecchi set the pole time with just over three minutes to go in an exceedingly wet Q2 with a 2m15.359s, before he crashed at the Vale chicane while on another quick flying lap.

That time proved enough, though, with his nearest rival KTM’s Jack Miller 0.270 seconds adrift as Alex Marquez brushed off a crash to complete the front row.

In a fall-filled Q2, championship leader Francesco Bagnaia also got caught out by the conditions, though the factory Ducati rider held onto fourth.

Sodden conditions led to early drama in qualifying, as 2021 British GP winner Quartararo failed to get out of Q1 and will start last on the grid.

A scare for Quartararo at the Vale chicane midway through the 15-minute session hindered his progress, and could do nothing to close the seven-second deficit to his Q1-topping Yamaha team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

Marc Marquez also failed to follow Morbidelli and Tech3 rookie Augusto Fernandez through to Q2, the Honda rider lining up 14th after his final effort challenged for a top two place but fell short.

Conditions failed to improve as Q2 got under way, with KTM’s Miller setting a stunning early pace of 2m15.629s to go 1.5s clear of the field.

Bagnaia cut this advantage to his former team-mate to 0.466s a few moments later before throwing his Ducati at the Brooklands scenery seconds later.

Alex Marquez was the next rider to edge closer to Miller, cutting his lead to 0.142s, before the rear-end of his Gresini Ducati came round on him on the way into Abbey with just under six minutes to go.

Miller’s time was finally deposed by Bezzecchi with just over three minutes remaining, the third-placed rider in the standings with a 2m15.359s.

Setting the timing screens ablaze on his next flying lap, Bezzecchi’s Q2 came to a premature end when he crashed at Vale.

But it proved inconsequential, with Bezzecchi holding firm for his second pole of the season ahead of Miller and Marquez.

Bagnaia heads row two from Augusto Fernandez, who achieved his best-ever MotoGP qualifying result, while Luca Marini completed the top six on his VR46 Ducati despite a late tumble.

Jorge Martin was seventh on the Pramac Ducati from Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales and the sister Pramac bike of Johann Zarco, with Brad Binder (KTM), Morbidelli and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) rounding out the top 12.

Enea Bastianini was just 0.087s outside of progressing into Q2 and will start 13th on his factory Ducati from Marc Marquez and the returning Pol Espargaro on the Tech3 KTM.

Miguel Oliveira was 16th on the RNF Aprilia from LCR Honda stand-in Iker Lecuona, Gresini’s Fabio DiGiannantonio – who suffered a Turn 1 crash – and Honda’s Joan Mir.

The field was completed by Raul Fernandez (RNF), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR) and Quartararo.

MotoGP British GP - Qualifying results

Q2 results:

Main Information Additional Data Additional Data Driver Info Driver Info

         

Driver Info			Main Information Additional Data
Cla	Rider	#		Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Speed Trap
1	M. Bezzecchi Marco Bezzecchi Team VR46	72		Ducati	5	2'15.359		156.676
2	J. Miller Jack Miller Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	43		KTM	7	+0.270	0.270	156.364
3	A. Marquez Alex Marquez Gresini Racing	73		Ducati	6	+0.412	0.142	156.201
4	F. Bagnaia Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Team	1		Ducati	4	+0.736	0.324	155.829
5	A. Fernandez Augusto Fernandez Tech 3	37		KTM	7	+0.742	0.006	155.822
6	L. Marini Luca Marini Team VR46	10		Ducati	5	+0.793	0.051	155.764
7	J. Martin Jorge Martin Pramac Racing	89		Ducati	6	+0.913	0.120	155.626
8	M. Viñales Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing Team	12		Aprilia	7	+0.958	0.045	155.575
9	J. Zarco Johann Zarco Pramac Racing	5		Ducati	5	+1.302	0.344	155.183
10	B. Binder Brad Binder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	33		KTM	7	+1.318	0.016	155.165
11	F. Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli Yamaha Factory Racing	21		Yamaha	6	+1.526	0.208	154.930
12	A. Espargaro Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing Team	41		Aprilia	7	+2.047	0.521	154.342
View full results

Q1 results:

Main Information Additional Data Additional Data Driver Info Driver Info

         

Driver Info			Main Information Additional Data
Cla	Rider	#		Bike	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h	Speed Trap
1	F. Morbidelli Franco Morbidelli Yamaha Factory Racing	21		Yamaha	6	2'15.884		156.071	300
2	A. Fernandez Augusto Fernandez Tech 3	37		KTM	7	+1.001	1.001	154.930	291
3	E. Bastianini Enea Bastianini Ducati Team	23		Ducati	6	+1.088	0.087	154.831	301
4	M. Marquez Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team	93		Honda	7	+1.459	0.371	154.413	289
5	P. Espargaro Pol Espargaro Tech 3	44		KTM	7	+2.234	0.775	153.546	287
6	M. Oliveira Miguel Oliveira RNF Racing	88		Aprilia	6	+2.380	0.146	153.384	297
7	I. Lecuona Iker Lecuona Repsol Honda Team	27		Honda	7	+2.949	0.569	152.756	294
8	F. Di Giannantonio Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini Racing	49		Ducati	5	+3.298	0.349	152.373	300
9	J. Mir Joan Mir Repsol Honda Team	36		Honda	7	+3.483	0.185	152.170	288
10	R. Fernández Raúl Fernández RNF Racing	25		Aprilia	6	+5.244	1.761	150.272	298
11	T. Nakagami Takaaki Nakagami Team LCR	30		Honda	6	+6.457	1.213	148.991	288
12	F. Quartararo Fabio Quartararo Yamaha Factory Racing	20		Yamaha	5	+7.047	0.590	148.376	296
View full results