MotoGP Catalan GP: Pedro Acosta claims pole as factory Aprilias crash in qualifying

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team

Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team

Gresini Marquez also delivered a late improvement but could only qualify third, just ahead of the top Aprilia of Raul Fernandez.

LCR rider Johann Zarco led Honda’s charge in fifth place, edging out di Giannantonio and the top Yamaha of Fabio Quartararo. Brad Binder was the only other KTM rider to get into Q2, apart from polesitter Acosta, qualifying eighth for Sunday’s race.

French GP winner Martin set a rapid time towards the end of Q1, but then damaged his primary bike on the cooldown lap at Turn 5, suffering his third crash of the weekend. Struggling for pace in the final part of qualifying, he could only manage ninth ahead of Honda’s Joan Mir.

Aprilia’s wretched day was compounded by a crash for Bezzecchi, who had only been sitting eighth on the timesheets when he hit the deck at Turn 2. The Italian was eventually shuffled down to 12th, behind the Pramac Yamaha of Mir.

In Q1, Francesco Bagnaia gave Morbidelli a slipstream that helped him get into the second leg of qualifying, but the factory Ducati rider was himself knocked out of the session and will line up 13th on the grid.

Enea Bastianini also missed the Q2 cut by less than a tenth off a second, having to roll off his flying lap due to yellow flags after Gresini rival Fermin Aldeguer crashed late at Turn 5. He will start the race from 14th on the grid.

Trackhouse sophomore Ai Ogura, who scored his maiden MotoGP podium at the French Grand Prix last weekend, languished in 18th place, while Pramac’s Toprak Razgatlioglu qualified 22nd and last after falling in Q1.

MotoGP Catalan GP - Qualifying results:

Q1 results:

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.