Jorge Martin made his bid to clinch the 2024 MotoGP world championship harder by only qualifying fourth for the deciding Solidarity Grand Prix races, while rival Pecco Bagnaia took pole.
Though Pramac Ducati rider Martin holds a 24-point lead with only 37 left on the table at Barcelona, starting on row two with Bagnaia's works Ducati, Aleix Espargaro's Aprilia and Marc Marquez's Gresini Ducati ahead is far from ideal.
That said, while Bagnaia and Marquez won't be doing Martin any favours, Espargaro has already made clear he will. Martin's close friend (and current lead rider for Martin's 2024 employer) tried to help the championship leader with tows in qualifying, though to no avail as Martin went over the run-off at the first corner at the start of what should have been his best pole shot.
Bagnaia's pole gives him the series' BMW M Pole Award qualifying 'championship' for a third straight year. He didn't worry about chasing his own tow but seemed very happy to offer that help to others - with Marquez in particular benefitting from that.
Martin's Pramac team-mate Franco Morbidelli came through Q1 to secure fifth.
Sixth for Tech3's Pedro Acosta was by far the best KTM result. Works riders Brad Binder and Jack Miller start only 18th and 19th, Miller crashing late in Q2.
Maverick Vinales couldn't match his practice form and starts seventh for Aprilia.
Bagnaia's works Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini doesn't look well placed to help the title bid as he could only qualify eighth.
Despite Honda's very encouraging practice form with LCR, Fabio Quartararo's Yamaha was again the best of the Japanese bikes as he came through Q1 to secure 10th, while Johann Zarco best Honda in 12th for LCR.
Joan Mir picked up a tow from Morbidelli and nearly made it into Q2 for the first time all year, with 13th still the best qualifying result of a terrible season for the works Honda rider.
Full grid:
1 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati)
2 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia)
3 Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
4 Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati)
5 Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Ducati)
6 Pedro Acosta (Tech3 GasGas)
7 Maverick Vinales (Aprilia)
8 Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
9 Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati)
10 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha)
11 Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati)
12 Johann Zarco (LCR Honda)
13 Joan Mir (Honda)
14 Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Aprilia)
15 Alex Rins (Yamaha)
16 Luca Marini (Honda)
17 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia)
18 Brad Binder (KTM)
19 Jack Miller (KTM)
20 Taka Nakagami (LCR Honda)
21 Augusto Fernandez (Tech3 GasGas)
22 Michele Pirro (VR46 Ducati)
23 Stefan Bradl (Honda)
