The Catalan Marc Márquez (Ducati Desmosedici GP23) has returned to pole position more than a year after the last time he did so, being the fastest in the official classification for the Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix at the Ángel Nieto circuit from Jerez de la Frontera.
Márquez achieved his last pole position last year, on March 25, 2023, in the official classification of the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Portimao circuit; This is the ninety-third (his usual number, 93) pole position of his sporting career, with 14 in 125 c.c., 14 in Moto2 and 65 in MotoGP.
Joining Marc Márquez on the front row were the Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati Desmosedici GP23) and the Spanish Jorge Martín (Ducati Desmosedici GP24).
During free practice prior to qualifying, Marc Márquez already warned of his intentions by being the clear dominator in those conditions and from the first to the last minute.
In the same conditions as that free practice session, the first MotoGP classification began, which was to grant the last two places to move on to the second classification and in which the first clear reference was the South African Brad Binder (KTM RC 16) .
The Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, precisely the KTM tester, was the one who came closest to the South African, barely 73 thousandths of a second and with still half a session ahead, a time in which the track was drying out little by little with the passage of the motorcycles as it no longer rains.
In those final moments, the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira (Aprilia RS-GP) 'came to the fore', a specialist in this type of conditions, who was the leader and very close to them was another great specialist in these moments of doubt due to the water, the Australian Jack Miller (KTM RC 16).
The Italian Franco Morbidelli (Ducati Desmosedici GP24) was the next leader (1:47.887) and no one could beat him, with the South African Binder being the closest to him, just 62 thousandths of a second.
All the Spaniards were left out of the classification, Dani Pedrosa, Raúl Fernández (Aprilia RS-GP), Augusto Fernández (Gas Gas RC 16), Joan Mir (Honda RC 213 V) and Alx Rins (Yamaha YZR M 1).
Once the second classification began, Marc Márquez left no room for doubt and immediately took the lead of the table with 1:48.016, half a second ahead of Pedro Acosta (Gas Gas RC 16) and the track drying out. gradually and 'exhibiting' a small dry lane in some areas of it.
But Binder and Morbidelli, who arrived with the 'lesson learned' from the first classification, took advantage of their opportunity, especially the South African, who beat Márquez - who had a major scare in turn 10 - by two tenths of a second, 1:47.807 , although only a couple of laps of the Andalusian route had been completed.
This change in conditions caused all the drivers to go into workshops to change tires and return to the track quickly.
It was the second and last attempt and one of the protagonists was 'Tiburón' Acosta, who was with partials more than six tenths of a second below the best lap of the round, but in turn thirteen, Jorge Lorenzo's turn entering the finish line he went to the ground, losing any option.
The Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati Desmosedici GP23) was the next reference, but it did not last long because after him Marc Márquez crossed the finish line to achieve a 1:46.773 that gave him pole position and just a few moments later, in the curve One, he spectacularly saved a fall that left him with no options to improve, although it was no longer necessary.
Marc Márquez took the first pole position of the season, and the first since Portimao in 2023, ahead of Bezzecchi and Martín.
The second line went to Brad Binder, Fabio di Giannantonio and Alex Márquez (Ducati Desmosedici GP23), with 'Pecco' Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli and Enea Bastianini on the third, all of them on Ducati Desmosedici GP24; on the fourth line Pedro Acosta, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia RS-GP) and Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia RS-GP).
