Marc Marquez edged his younger brother Alex in the final minutes of qualifying at Lusail International Circuit to secure 2025 Qatar MotoGP pole position.
The Spanish rider shattered the previous Lusail lap record with a blistering time of 1’50.499s as he continued his dominance in the 2025 season with a remarkable fourth consecutive pole.
Marc Marquez’s Qatar MotoGP pole winning lap was a testament to his exceptional skill and the capabilities of his Ducati GP25 machine as he edged out his younger brother Alex Marquez by just 0.101 seconds.
The younger Marquez riding for BK8 Gresini Racing on a Ducati GP24 had briefly held the top spot before Marc’s final push under the floodlights.
Qualifying for the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix was a highly competitive affair with several riders vying for the top spots on the grid. Early in Q2 Marc Marquez set the pace only to be briefly surpassed by Fabio Quartararo who momentarily took pole for Yamaha.
However, Quartararo’s lead was short-lived as Alex Marquez riding for Gresini Racing soon overtook him. The younger Marquez brother’s time at the top was also fleeting, as Marc made a stunning comeback in the final moments of the session to claim Qatar MotoGP pole position.
Fabio Quartararo ultimately settled for third place, marking Yamaha’s return to the front row for the first time since the 2022 Dutch GP. His lap time of 1’50.759s placed him at the rear of the front row, sandwiched between two Ducati riders.
Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio, both representing the Pertamina VR46 Racing Team, claimed fourth and fifth positions respectively. Morbidelli’s consistent pace throughout qualifying ensured he led the second row, while Di Giannantonio showcased his potential on the Ducati GP25.
Maverick Viñales was the top KTM rider in sixth place with a time of 1’51.059s on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine. Viñales’ familiarity with Lusail’s layout could make him a contender for a top-five finish during the race.
Johann Zarco emerged as Honda’s best performer in qualifying, placing seventh on his LCR Honda Castrol RC213V. Zarco’s experience and adaptability were evident as he navigated through challenging conditions to lead Honda’s charge.
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Fermin Aldeguer continued his impressive form for BK8 Gresini Racing to qualify eighth on the sister BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati GP24. Yamaha’s Alex Rins rounded off the third row in ninth place, while rookie Ai Ogura completed the top ten aboard his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP25.
The session also witnessed notable setbacks for some riders. Francesco Bagnaia, fresh off his remarkable COTA victory suffered a crash at Turn 4 during his second run and could only manage 11th place on the grid.
The incident marked a sudden performance dip for Bagnaia who had been expected to challenge for Qatar MotoGP pole.
Pedro Acosta followed in 12th place on his KTM RC16 after struggling to find optimal pace.
Q1 saw intense battles as riders aimed to secure spots in Q2. Rookie Ai Ogura led the charge alongside Alex Rins ensuring their progression to battle for pole position. However, factory Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin narrowly missed out on advancing to Q2 despite strong efforts.
Martin’s return to action after recovering from multiple fractures was commendable, as he focused on regaining rhythm rather than results.
Luca Marini placed 15th on his Honda HRC Castrol RC213V, while Jack Miller finished 16th on his Pramac Yamaha M1. Raul Fernandez and Brad Binder struggled to find competitive pace, ending up in 17th and 18th positions respectively.
Augusto Fernandez made his second appearance as a stand-in rider for Pramac Yamaha but could only manage 19th place.
Enea Bastianini and Joan Mir endured difficult sessions, finishing 20th and 21st respectively. Mir’s struggles were compounded by gastroenteritis, which forced him to withdraw from the evening’s Sprint race.
Rookie Somkiat Chantra rounded off the grid in 22nd place on his Idemitsu Honda LCR RC213V.
