Bagnaia leads all-VR46 Misano MotoGP front row

Reigning MotoGP champion Pecco Bagnaia took pole position with a new Misano premier-class lap record in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix.

Bagnaia, not fully fit coming into the weekend after his crash with Alex Marquez in Aragon, proved he would still be plenty competitive by topping Friday practice - and duly followed it up with pole.

He was in a close battle with title rival Jorge Martin after the first runs in Q2, but as Martin's second run went awry Bagnaia will instead be joined on the front row by his fellow VR46 Academy riders.

Bagnaia's eventual 1m30.304s put him nearly three tenths clear, and is yet another lap record recorded this season - albeit is a relatively marginal improvement on the previous benchmark by 2024's standards, by less than a tenth.

Franco Morbidelli will line up second after his best Ducati qualifying so far, while Marco Bezzecchi - who represents not only Valentino Rossi's VR46 Academy but also his VR46 team - will line up third.

Martin (outqualified by Pramac team-mate Morbidelli for the first time this season) will head into battle from fourth, joined on the second row by the KTM/Gas Gas RC16s of Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder - who had fought his way through Q1.

Alex Marquez, who likewise made his way through Q1, will start seventh, followed by Bagnaia's works team-mate Enea Bastianini.

Marc Marquez was the last Ducati in Q2 after crashing at Turn 15 - right after the change of direction - on his second run.

Lining up behind him will be Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) and Jack Miller (KTM).

Vinales' Aprilia team-mate Aleix Espargaro didn't manage to make up for his Q2-denying late crash on Friday, coming up two tenths short of advancing through Q1 - consigned to 13th on the grid by a subpar final sector.

He was still clear of the two satellite Trackhouse bikes though, Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez ending up 0.048s apart in 18th and 19th.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was the sole Ducati representative failing to make Q2, the VR46 Ducati rider still limited by his shoulder injury from last month's Red Bull Ring outing.

KTM tester Pol Espargaro will join his brother Aleix and Di Giannantonio on the fifth row, Espargaro having crashed in pre-qualifying practice and then again in Q1.

As usual, Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) was Honda's best qualifier - this time in 16th and over four tenths clear of anyone else on an RC213V.

Mir ruled out

Luca Marini, 21st, was the sole rider representing the works Honda team, with team-mate Joan Mir having to call time on his race weekend after having already missed Friday.

Honda team boss Alberto Puig told MotoGP.com Mir's gastroenteritis looked to be improving on Friday before taking a sudden downturn that ruled him out o the weekend for good.

"He went out of the motorhome, he went for a walk, the colour of his face went back to normal, because before he was white. And he was feeling really good," Puig explained. "He could even have supper. And he went to sleep, everything was okay in the night.

"But this morning after waking up he had breakfast and then again he threw up, vomited, again the white face.

"And then we went to the doctor. And looks like his levels of stamina are really, really low again, and finally [MotoGP's medical officer] Dr. [Angel] Charte recommended, strongly recommended, not to [ride].

"Our target now is only the Monday test, because it's all we can do. He will try to rest as much as possible for Monday and see if he can go."