MotoGP GP Malaysia record pole for Bagnaia, according to Martin

taketonews

The Ducati world champion sets the new circuit record, ahead of the Pramac Spaniard, who slips in the final stages, and his teammate. Great performance from Borgo Panigale which occupies the first six places on the grid

Massimo Brizzi

– Milan

Extraordinary record in the Ducati monopoly. Pecco Bagnaia conquer the pole of the MotoGP Malaysian GP, ​​also setting the new Sepang circuit record of 1:57.491. An extraordinary performance from the Ducati champion, who beats his rival in the title race Jorge Martin, 13 points behind him in the standings, by 58 thousandths (unfortunately a symbolic number on this track), demonstrating speed and character. In fact, the last assault on the clock ends with the Spaniard at the top of the standings and Bagnaia fifth, but in the fight for pure performance Pecco highlights his caliber: Martin slips at turn 4 and he flies to conquer pole and the absolute record of the circuit for a first place on the grid which has a considerable psychological weight. In a session started late due to the need to repair the air fences of Turn 1 damaged by a fall by Darryn Binder, the Bagnaia-Martin challenge leads to a direct confrontation, but not even the very close marking on Pecco in the Ducati Pramac Spaniard is enough last time attack: the fall puts him out of action and the Italian is very good at taking advantage of it for his seventh pole of the season.

red pincer

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In the Sepang races the two contenders will therefore start in front of everyone, for that long-awaited direct confrontation which is the spice of this wonderful world championship challenge at Ducati. Martin, however, will find himself in a red pincer, given what an excellent third he is perky Enea Bastianinivery good at hitting the front row (+0.099) with the other Desmosedici of the Factory team after being the best in Q1: for the Rimini native a good response on the field at the right time, also useful to extinguish the rumors of a possible ‘relegation’ to Pramac for 2024.

Ducati monopoly

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Ducati’s dominance borders on monopoly, given that in the second row there are three other Desmosedicis, in order those of Alex Marquez (Gresini), fourth at 0.170; Luca Marini (VR46), fifth at 0.296, and Marco Bezzecchi (VR46), sixth at 0.314: it had been 25 years, since Honda succeeded at Mugello in 1998, that a manufacturer had not entirely monopolized the first two rows of the grid.

the top ten

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Completing the top-10 are Brad Binder, seventh with the KTM at 0.559; Fabio Quartararo, eighth on the Yamaha at 0.589; Maverick Viñales ninth on the Aprilia at 0.762 and Jack Miller, tenth on the KTM at 0.977. Eleventh was Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati Gresini), promoted from Q1 and crashed in the final stages of Q2, and 12th Johann Zarco.

Softelli-maRQUEZ argument

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Aleix Espargaro was rejected in Q1 and, after the four crashes on Friday, will start 13th with the Aprilia, two positions ahead of Franco Morbidelli, who in the first phase of qualifying gesticulated (argued) with Marc Marquez for the usual game of slipstreams: the Honda’s Spaniard, victim of a crash at turn 4, will start 20th while his Honda teammate, Joan Mir, is 16th. For Alvaro Bautista, the new Superbike champion competing with a wild card on the Ducati Aruba.it, there is 22nd place on the grid. The Sprint Race will take place at 8am Italian time.

motogp malaysia gp qualification, the ranking

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Below the MotoGP qualifying rankings in Sepang, with the first four rows

  1. Bagnaia, Ducati 1:57.491
  2. Martin, Ducati Pramac +0.058
  3. Bastianini, Ducati +0.099
  4. Alex Marquez, Ducati Gresini +0.170
  5. Marini, Ducati VR46 +0.296
  6. Bezzecchi, Ducati VR46 +0.314
  7. Brad Binder, KTM +0.559
  8. Quartararo, Yamaha +0.589
  9. Viñales, Aprilia +0.762
  10. Miller, KTM +0.977
  11. Di Giannantonio, Ducati Gresini +1,720
  12. Zarco, Ducati Pramac +4,357

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