Ducati 2023 hopeful Bastianini scores maiden MotoGP pole

Gresini Ducati rider Enea Bastianini beat out works rider Francesco Bagnaia by 0.024s to claim his maiden MotoGP pole position at the Red Bull Ring.

A contender – along with Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin – to join Bagnaia in the factory Ducati team next year, Bastianini thrived in the final sector to snatch pole from Bagnaia at the chequered flag, with Bagnaia’s departing team-mate Jack Miller completing the front row.

Bastianini’s rival Martin will start the Austrian GP in fifth, with championship leader Fabio Quartararo in fifth as the best of the non-Ducatis – the Yamaha man dragging himself past compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) late on.

VR46 Ducati duo Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi were both prime contenders to make Q2, yet ended up missing out.

Aprilia’s efforts were led by Maverick Vinales in seventh, with his title-contending team-mate Aleix Espargaro in ninth.

Espargaro managed to find his way out of Q1, but had a laptime good enough for sixth deleted in Q2.

Suzuki’s Joan Mir slotted in between the Aprilias and three places ahead of his team-mate, the 11th-placed Alex Rins.

Rins will therefore line up between Gresini rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio and KTM’s Brad Binder on row four, with Binder completing the order in Q2 despite being just 0.764s off the pace.

Marini’s final lap was potentially on course to take him top of Q1 after two sectors, but eventually ended up 0.036s short of the second transfer spot occupied by Di Giannantonio.

Bezzecchi, for his part, had his qualifying ruined by a crash at the second part of the new chicane, which was accompanied by LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez falling at the same spot mere moments later. Bezzecchi will start 20th, while Marquez will prop up the grid.

Identical crashes for @Marco12_B and @alexmarquez73! 💥

With 3 minutes to go they need to run very fast to get back to the pits! 👀#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/Ephn2wXucw

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 20, 2022

Gas Gas-bound Honda rider Pol Espargaro spent much of Q1 in a position to advance alongside brother Aleix, but was relegated down to 15th on the grid – behind Marini and LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami on row five – late on.

Franco Morbidelli’s Q2 drought continued with 16th place, while sometime Red Bull Ring race winner Miguel Oliveira could do no better than 17th for KTM.

Qualifying Results