Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia secured his first pole position of the season at the Dutch Motorcycle Grand Prix, shattering the lap record in the qualifying session on Saturday. The 27-year-old Italian, coming off strong practice sessions at the TT Circuit Assen, set the fastest time of 1:30.540, surpassing championship leader Jorge Martin’s previous mark of 1:30.877, achieved minutes earlier in Q2.
Martin, riding for Prima Pramac Racing, currently holds an 18-point lead over Bagnaia in the championship standings. He finished second fastest in qualifying, with Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Vinales rounding out the front row.
“I was struggling a little to find the limit to (get) the pole position, but in the last races, I was always a bit closer and finally in the pole position,” Bagnaia said. “It is fantastic in front of this crowd. Let’s try to do the same this afternoon, try to lead. It won’t be easy, but I am very happy.”
The sprint race will take place later on Saturday. Martin, 26, expressed his focus on his own performance, as Bagnaia aims to close the championship gap. “Really happy… I was really close to the pole position… I think the pace is fast. Pecco (Bagnaia) will try to make it a very fast race, but we will be ready for that,” Martin added.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, currently third in the championship standings, will start seventh in Sunday’s race after a crash.
