Bezzecchi takes Qatar MotoGP pole ahead of Marquez

Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi secured pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix, beating championship leader Marc Marquez by 0.266s at Lusail. Bezzecchi set a new lap record of 1m50.028s on his final effort in Q2, after his first flying lap was affected by yellow flags for Brad Binder's crash at Turn 1.

Marquez, who heads the championship, faces a potential first match point this weekend depending on the sprint on Saturday afternoon. He needs to outscore Jorge Martin by 30 points and Marco Bezzecchi by eight points to seal an eighth world title. Marquez set the early pace in Q2 with a 1m50.361s but finished second in the session.

Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the top three for VR46 Ducati, with Raul Fernandez fourth for Trackhouse and Pecco Bagnaia fifth. Jorge Martin struggled to 11th on the sister Aprilia factory team.