Biggest Q2 Ever? Bagnaia and Martin go head to head at Sepang

Francesco Bagnaia took an incredible pole position at the Petronas Grand Prix in Malaysia, obliterating the record from the previous round after clocking a 1:56.337. The Italian put in a flawless lap, setting up the rest of the weekend by securing a 0.216s advantage over his title rival Jorge Martin (First Pramac Racing). No. 89 struck early in 1:56, but was unable to respond in the second round after Bagnaia’s new benchmark was set. Bagnaia and Martin will join them Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) on the front row, after a strong lap from number 73, placed the Spaniard P3 – 0.938s.

Lap records demolished at Sepang

FP2 gave teams and riders one final opportunity to refine their set-ups, with Bagnaia topping the clock after a busy session for the #1, completing laps on the circuit with Martin. The stage was now set for qualifying, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) setting an incredible pace at the start of Q1. Times began to drop as the riders returned to the track for the second round, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) dug deep to secure the top two spots.

Once Q2 kicked into gear, Martin set the pace on the first lap, charging into the 1:56 slot for the first time. The #89 improved further, setting a new record and time for title rival Bagnaia to chase after the Italian finished his first round in second place. The reigning World Champion came out fighting in the second round, pushing to the limit and setting an incredible 1:56.337 as his team-mate Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) had an accident in the last minute.

Marc Marquez and Bastianini head to row two

Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) leads the second row of the grid, improving his time in the closing moments of Q2 to fourth on the grid. The Italian will start first Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), who didn’t find time to qualify on the front row with fresh tires. The No. 93 will have Bastianini for company on the second row of the grid, with the Italian unable to improve on his first lap time after a crash at Turn 15.

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will start as the top Pierer Mobility rider, claiming seventh on the grid and continuing an incredible weekend. Number 43 will join Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins third, with the Yamaha duo taking an extra step at Sepang.

further back, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will start from 13^th on the grid after missing Q2 by 0.039s. The rookie will start in front of Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing), who have work to do when the lights go out. Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will lead from 17^th on the grid as he continues to make a noteworthy return to MotoGP.

Saturday’s action doesn’t stop yet, with further drama in store as a vital Tissot Sprint returns for lights out at 15:00 local time (UTC +8), where Bagnaia will set his sights on reducing his title lead Martin after qualifying on pole!

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