BAGNAIA EDGES OUT MILLER AT MISANO
Francesco Bagnaia claimed pole position at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the second time this season, while championship leader Fabio Quartararo could qualify no higher than 15th position on the grid.
It was the perfect day for the Italian rider in his home country, leading a Ducati 1-2-3 on the grid, while Quartararo failed to make his way out of Q1.
Although Bagnaia became the first Ducati rider to take four consecutive poles since Aussie Casey Stoner well over a decade ago, he did not have things all his own way having to progress out of Q1.
Bagnaia set a 1m 33.393s time to take pole, just 0.025s faster than his Aussie teammate Jack Miller.
Miller could not do anymore, electing to pit with a couple of minutes of the session remaining.
The Aussie just held on to second position, only 0.06s faster than Luca Marini who scored his first front row start in the premier class.
As always, the top two riders in Q1 would progress into the second segment and early on it was the championship rivals Bagnaia and Quartararo who traded fastest lap times at the head of the field.
However, as the track got faster Alex Marquez, Enea Bastianini, Iker Lecuona and Alex Rins made their way into contention.
In the dying seconds Alex Rins popped up into second, but he was then beaten by Iker Lecuona.
Fabio Quartararo failed to make it out of Q1 – Image: Motorsport Images
Quartararo improved on his final lap but could only manage third, this became fifth when the Frenchman’s time was deleted for improving his time under double waved yellows.
This means that the flying Frenchman who had to progress out of Q1 for the first time this season failed to do so.
His championship rival Bagnaia not only progressed but impressively took pole.
The best non-Ducati rider in qualifying was Pol Espargaro, on the factory Honda he qualified fourth, 0.268s from pole.
KTM rider Miguel Oliveira was fifth and factory Yamaha man Franco Morbidelli sixth.
After winning the last round of the championship in America, Marc Marquez could only manage seventh after a late session fall.
It was a dramatic session full of crashes as both Tech 3 KTM riders Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci fell late on also. Both sat provisionally on the front row just minutes earlier but ended up in eighth and ninth respectively.
Johann Zarco also took a tumble, he ended up 10th ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Jorge Martin who crashed at Turn 8 and 16.
Factory Suzuki man Alex Rins just missed out on a Q2 spot and will start 13th from Alex Marquez and Quartararo.
Maverick Vinales on his factory Aprilia will line up in 17th from Enea Bastianini and reigning champion Joan Mir who like many suffered a crash.
From 20th will be Brad Binder, beating Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Wildcard Michele Pirro and Valentino Rossi who rounds out the 23 bike field for his final home Grand Prix.
Aprilia Wildcard Lorenzo Savadori has been ruled out of the remainder of the weekend after fracturing his right collarbone.
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