Marc Marquez secured his first pole position as a Ducati MotoGP rider in a rainy qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix. The six-time MotoGP champion dominated the pre-qualifying practice session in wet conditions and was expected to take pole. However, Marquez had a scary moment in Turn 1 that seemed to ruin his chances. Despite this setback, he was still out of reach for his competitors. Marco Bezzecchi was the closest rival, but his last-second attempt to beat Marquez ended in the gravel. Championship leader Jorge Martin completed the all-Ducati front row.
Brad Binder salvaged fourth place on the grid after a tough Q1 session, followed by Bezzecchi’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marquez’s brother Alex Marquez. The next row consisted of the three other Ducatis, with Pecco Bagnaia leading Franco Morbidelli and Enea Bastianini. Pedro Acosta settled for 10th place after a crash hindered his progress in Q2. The Aprilias of Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro struggled for pace in the conditions.
Johann Zarco’s last-minute effort to secure a Q2 spot for Honda fell short, but he matched the RC213V’s best qualifying result of the session in 13th. Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez showed promise in the wet practice session but couldn’t make an impact in Q1, finishing 14th and 17th respectively. Jack Miller and Dani Pedrosa will start between them on the grid, with Miller facing difficulties due to a bike issue early on.
Yamaha had a disappointing session, with Fabio Quartararo as their highest-placed rider in 23rd position. They were the slowest of the manufacturers in Q1, lagging behind by nearly two seconds.