MotoGP Qatar GP: Marquez Snags Pole, Bagnaia Reels After Qualifying Crash
Lusail, Qatar – April 12, 2025, 08:07 AM PDT – Marc Marquez, the eight-time world champion, roared to pole place for the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday, April 12, cementing his dominance on the Lusail Worldwide Circuit with a blistering 1:50.623 lap in qualifying. The manufacturing unit Ducati rider, unfazed by his personal admission that Qatar isn’t his strongest observe, outpaced the sphere to assert his fourth pole in 4 races this season. In the meantime, teammate and defending champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia suffered a dramatic setback, crashing in Q2 at Flip 10 and slumping to an Eleventh-place begin—his worst qualifying of 2025—leaving him with a steep climb in Sunday’s race.
Marquez, 32, was untouchable within the sweltering desert warmth. Regardless of warning Thursday that rivals Bagnaia and brother Alex Marquez traditionally outperform him right here, he sliced via Q2, edging Gresini’s Alex by 0.022 seconds for P2 and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo, who nabbed a superb P3, by 0.145, per Crash.internet stats. “I didn’t anticipate this—the bike felt alive, however tomorrow’s the actual battle,” Marquez informed MotoGP.com, nodding to his lone Qatar win (2014) and spotty podium document since 2019. His tempo, honed in Friday’s FP1 the place he topped timesheets at 1:52.288, alerts a fierce bid to reclaim the championship lead from Alex, who sits one level forward after Marc’s Americas GP crash.
Bagnaia, 27, had pinned Qatar as his breakout after a morale-lifting Americas win on March 30, the place Marquez’s Flip 4 tumble gifted him victory. Friday’s follow noticed him outpace Marquez by a whisker—1:50.975 to 1:50.997, per Motorsport.com—fueling his declare of a “two-horse race” between the manufacturing unit Ducatis. However Saturday’s Q2 unravelled. Pushing too exhausting on a mushy rear tire, Bagnaia misplaced the entrance, sliding out with 4 minutes left. “I overdid it—my mistake,” he informed Autosport, ruing a lap that stranded him on row 4, 0.832 seconds off pole. With just one Qatar win (2024) to his title, his 12-point deficit to Alex now looms bigger.
The grid tells a narrative of surprises. Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) grabbed P4, whereas Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46) and championship chief Alex Marquez spherical out the highest six, organising a fierce dash and Grand Prix. Quartararo’s front-row coup—Yamaha’s first since 2024—stole headlines, with X posts buzzing: “Fabio’s again!” Others lamented Bagnaia’s fall: “Pecco’s title hopes fading quick.” Jorge Martin, getting back from damage on Aprilia, struggled to twentieth in FP1 however clawed to P12, a glimmer of battle.
Sunday’s race, beneath Lusail’s floodlights, guarantees chaos. Marquez, beginning upfront, eyes redemption, however Alex’s metronomic P2 streak and Bagnaia’s rear-grid grit might flip the script. With Ducati’s GP25s dominating—4 within the prime six—Qatar’s clean curves favor their energy, but Quartararo’s tempo hints at an upset. As commerce wars spike gold to $3,200, Marquez’s pole lap affords a distinct sort of shine—one Bagnaia’s chasing from the again.
