Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claimed a stunning pole position at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand 2024, clocking a jaw-dropping 1:28.700. Displaying peak performance in his final run, Bagnaia led a Ducati 1-2, with teammate Enea Bastianini just 0.232s behind.
Bastianini was the only other rider in the 1:28 bracket and will start second, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) completing the front row despite a crash in his final attempt.
Saturday’s action-packed qualifying began with FP2, where Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) topped the charts ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), setting an intense stage for the qualifying sessions. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) emerged as an early frontrunner in Q1, eventually advancing to Q2 with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).
Once Q2 started, Bagnaia immediately set a new benchmark at 1:29.076. The Italian then turned up the heat, smashing the lap record to dip into the 1:28s just as Martin and Morbidelli crashed, cutting their runs short. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) secured fourth, leading the second row alongside Marquez, who managed to claim P5 despite a fall at Turn 3. Quartararo rounds out the second row, pushing his Yamaha to the limit to secure sixth.
Rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) continued his impressive form, qualifying seventh as the top Pierer Mobility bike, while Di Giannantonio starts eighth. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completed the third row with a time of 1:29.527.
Further down the grid, Morbidelli will start in 11th, ahead of Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), with both riders struggling through crashes. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder and Jack Miller face challenges from P13 and P15, while Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) will begin his Thai GP campaign from 14th after a tough weekend.
Top 10 of Qualifying session
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) 1:28.700
- Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) +0.232
- Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) +0.430
- Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) +0.624
- Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) +0.686
- Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) +0.708
- Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) +0.719
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) +0.735
- Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) +0.827
- Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) +0.928
The next thrilling session at 15:00 local time (UTC +7) for the Tissot Sprint, where Bagnaia aims to cut down Martin’s Championship lead in what promises to be an electrifying battle at the Chang International Circuit.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
