Key Points

Bezzecchi heads up an exciting front row that included rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), whilst Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) suffered his worst qualifying of 2025 in P9.

With both Marquez and teammate Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) contesting Q1, it was always going to be a battle for the top spots. Marquez led Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in the provisional graduation spots after the first run, with Pecco P7, the Japanese GP winner, with work to do.

Lapping together, ‘Diggia’ and teammate Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) managed to improve their times with the #21 briefly into Q2 before Di Giannantonio snatched P1, demoting the #93 to P2, but at the chequered flag, he was safe. Di Giannantonio and Marquez moved into Q2, Morbidelli missing out by 0.048s. Bagnaia was only sixth, leaving him 16th on the grid.

Bezzecchi unstoppable, Marquez struggling

With Q2 underway, all eyes turned to the pole battle and the pre-session favourite Marco Bezzecchi, who was fastest on Friday and in FP2 on Saturday. He delivered the goods and by the end of the first run was the rider to beat, but there was still time for it all to change. Further down the order, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) suffered a fast crash at Turn 15 but was straight back on his feet and onto his second bike.

Going into the final run, Marc Marquez needed a lap and was down in P10 with less than three minutes remaining. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Fernandez were on the provisional front row, but Bezzecchi was in a different league up ahead, smashing the all-time lap record and becoming the first rider into the 1’28s at Mandalika. Just behind, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had put in a cracking lap to go third, whilst elsewhere, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) fell at Turn 13.

Nobody could catch Bezzecchi, who stormed to pole position, a second in three GPs, and with a margin of 0.398s. In second place, a first front row in MotoGP for Aldeguer, following Bezzecchi home just like on Friday afternoon. Fernandez recovered his front row starting position from Rins, his first front row start since he was third at the Sachsenring in 2024. Rins crashed on his final flying lap, but with a best qualifying since COTA in 2023, he may have a say at the front. Acosta and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) round out the second row of the grid with all five manufacturers across the front two rows.

Despite a late fall that cost him a second row grid slot, Alex Marquez took the chequered flag for P7, ahead of Quartararo and Marc Marquez. It was the #93’s worst qualifying of the season, and he’ll have to battle through the likes of ‘El Diablo’ and his brother before thinking about a podium. A first top ten since Aragon last year for Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) with three Yamahas inside the top ten, ahead of Di Giannantonio and Motegi podium finisher Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol).

- IANS