Marquez Lights Up Qatar With Qualifying Scorcher

Marc edges out brother Alex once again as Bagnaia blinks, Fabio Quartararo secures sensational front row for Yamaha

An electrifying MotoGP qualifying session at Qatar ended in familiar fashion — Marc Marquez atop the leaderboard from brother Alex. But the journey to pole position was anything but predictable, as surprises, crashes, and lap records delivered drama across the board.

Marc Marquez (Ducati) wasted no time asserting his dominance. The six-time premier class champion dropped into the 1:50s on his first flyer, laying down a stiff benchmark from the outset.

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia found himself under pressure in ninth after his initial run. Needing to respond, Bagnaia pushed too hard into Turn 4 and tucked the front, perhaps trying to shake off the tow from Di Giannantonio after looking unsettled when he was shadowed out of the pits. The crash ended Pecco’s session and he’ll now have serious work to do from 11th place on the grid.

As the session entered its whirlwind final stages, it wasn’t just the Marquez brothers in contention. Franco Morbidelli, Diggia, and Alex Marquez all had moments that threatened to shuffle the front row, before Fabio Quartararo jumped to the top of the timing screens with a sensational lap. The Frenchman broke the lap record and briefly vaulted to provisional pole with stunning 1:50.759.

But the celebration in the Yamaha garage was short-lived. Alex Marquez immediately responded, clocking a 1:50.600 to reclaim top spot as the seconds ticked down. It seemed the younger Marquez might have done enough — until Marc Marquez once again rose to the occasion, blasting across the line in the final moments with a jaw-dropping 1:50.499, aided somewhat by a perfectly timed slipstream behind Morbidelli.

The Marquez family secured yet another 1–2 finish but the day’s biggest talking point was Quartararo’s third-place result — a welcome disruption to Ducati’s stranglehold on the front row and a sign that Yamaha may still have some fight left this season. Elsewhere, Vinales handily outpaced Acosta to finish as the top KTM rider, just edging out Zarco in for 6th position. Aldeguer finished as the top rookie and will start from 8th position for the Gresini Ducati squad.

QATAR MOTOGP QUALIFYING