Marco Bezzecchi Sets New Record at Mugello, Claims Pole Position
Bezzecchi's Historic Lap at Mugello
In Tuscany, Italy, championship frontrunner Marco Bezzecchi from Aprilia Racing showcased an exceptional performance at Mugello, achieving a groundbreaking lap time of 1'43.921. This remarkable feat marks him as the first rider to complete a lap under 1'43 at this legendary Italian circuit, securing his first pole position since Buriram. He outpaced Raul Fernandez from Trackhouse MotoGP Team and the reigning 2024 World Champion Jorge Martin, who also rides for Aprilia Racing, according to a statement from a prominent sports media outlet.
The pressure was palpable during Q1, especially for top contenders in the championship like Pedro Acosta from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and the Trackhouse MotoGP Team's Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez. With only two spots available for Q2, the competition was fierce, leading to some disappointments. Acosta initially set a time of 1'44.765, which was later surpassed by Fernandez. Ogura, despite showing potential with several red sectors, narrowly missed qualifying by just 0.087 seconds. Acosta and Fernandez advanced to the top ten for the pole shootout.
As Q2 commenced, Francesco Bagnaia from Ducati Lenovo Team led a pack of riders, including his teammate Marc Marquez. However, Jorge Martin made a strong statement with an opening lap time of 1'44.284, just shy of the all-time lap record. By the midpoint of the session, Aprilia riders were dominating the top three positions, with Fernandez and Bezzecchi maintaining the pace set by the 2024 World Champion.
During the second runs, Bagnaia, who was in P10, needed a solid lap and began to set impressive sector times. As the session progressed, the timing screens lit up with potential pole position challengers, setting the stage for an exciting finish.
Bagnaia managed to secure P4, but all eyes were on Bezzecchi, who delivered an extraordinary lap, becoming the first rider to clock a 1'43 at Mugello, finishing over two-tenths ahead of his competitors with less than two minutes remaining. Marc Marquez, who was on a strong lap, found himself hindered by Acosta and ultimately settled for fourth place.
Bezzecchi's performance was unmatched, with Aprilia dominating the home circuit. This pole position is significant for Bezzecchi, marking his first since Buriram and Aprilia's first at Mugello since Tetsuya Harada in 1999. Fernandez secured the second spot on the grid, while Martin rounded out the top three, finishing 0.363 seconds behind his teammate.
Marc Marquez made a notable comeback, starting from the second row, while Fermin Aldeguer from BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP achieved fifth place, marking his first top-five grid position since his Grand Prix victory in Indonesia. Bagnaia finished sixth in his home race.
In the following positions, Fabio Di Giannantonio from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team took seventh place, struggling to complete a full lap after facing technical issues in FP2. Diogo Moreira from Pro Honda LCR achieved a career-best eighth position, becoming the first Brazilian to qualify in the top ten since Alex Barros in 2007. Franco Morbidelli from Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team completed the third row, while Acosta rounded out the top ten, leading the fourth row ahead of Enea Bastianini from Red Bull KTM Tech3 and Alex Rins from Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in 11th and 12th places, respectively.