Marco Bezzecchi claimed pole position during MotoGP World Championship qualifying Saturday at rainy Silverstone Circuit, in England. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian lapped the 3.7-mile (5.9 km) track in 2:15.359 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Australian Jack Miller was the best of the rest with a 2:15.629 on his Red Bull KTM RC16, and Alex Marquez earned the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:15.771 on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bezzecchi steals stunning pole position from Miller as the rain hits at Silverstone
Despite a late crash, the Italian nabs the honours from early pacesetter Miller, with Alex Marquez completing the front row and the rain shaking up the order in qualifying
Saturday, 05 August 2023
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) pulled a stunner out of the hat in qualifying for the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, reigning in the rain to take a second pole in succession and deny an early charge from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Australian couldn’t quite hit back despite a late crash for Bezzecchi, and the front row is completed by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) as the number 73 showed more wet weather prowess, also despite a crash. With a wet qualifying setting the grid for both the Tissot Sprint, expected to be in the wet, and the Grand Prix race, which may prove dry… the stage is set for another weekend of unpredictability in MotoGP™!
Q1: Marc Marquez & Quartararo out, Morbidelli top
As ever, the fight to get through from Q1 featured plenty superstar names, amongst them Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).
After Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had topped FP2 in similar conditions, he was the one to watch initiailly – but then the number 49 crashed out, rider ok but his progress then seriously dented. Next up, Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took over on top, and the more veteran Italian was in the groove.
The next drama was for Quartararo as the Frenchman pulled off quite a save, but he stopped at the side of the track and that also put paid to his progress. He got back to pitlane but didn’t set another fast lap, just one more on the board.
Bastianini threatened and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) also emerged as a serious threat for a place in Q2, slotting into second. Then it all came down to Marc Marquez, losing out in the first part of the lap, then gaining some time back… but then tagging onto teammate Joan Mir and having to overtake the number 36. It wasn’t enough for either, with Morbidelli easing through on top and rookie Augusto Fernandez nabbing that second place in Q2.
Q2
The conditions remained torrential in Q2. The first serious shot at pole was a stunning lap from Miller as the Australian pulled over a second and a half clear, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking over in second. But then came the first drama as Pecco slid out, rider ok but losing his chance to head back out.
Alex Marquez was the first to make a real attack on Miller’s time, the number 73 getting within a tenth and a half as the field managed to home in on the goalposts. He then also suffered a crash, rider ok, but out of contention. And then came Bezzecchi. The sophomore sliced round Silverstone to knock an impressive 0.270 off rain master Miller’s time, taking over in provisional pole.
From there, Bezzecchi stole more headlines as he had a fairly fast crash out of the session, but rider ok… and that laptime remained unbeatable. He takes back to back poles in very different conditions and at very different venues, with Miller forced to settle for second.
THE GRID
Behind Bezzecchi and Miller, Alex Marquez takes that third on the grid to complete the front row. He’s ahead of Bagnaia, whose crash seemed like it could be costly for his grid position, but the reigning Champion actually didn’t lose out too much as he heads the second row. He’s joined by a stunning Q2 performance from Q1 graduate and rookie Augusto Fernandez who takes fifth, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) completing Row 2 despite also crashing in the session.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) lend their firepower to Row 3, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in P10 and looking for a classic Binder slice through the order. Morbidelli is next up, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) left ruing the weather more than anyone after his amazing speed in the dry on Friday gives way to P12 on the grid on Saturday and Sunday.
Bastianini is left in P13 on the grid, ahead of Marc Marquez and a truly impressive first qualifying back for Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) just behind his former teammate. Quartararo finds himself at the back of the field at Silverstone, looking for much more once the lights go out. Join us for the first instance of that this afternoon!
