MotoGP News: Francesco Bagnaia Sets Timesheets Alight With Record-Breaking Pole Position At Dutch GP

Alex Harrington | Jun 29, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Francesco Bagnaia (1) of Italy and Ducati Lenovo Team rides in warmups before the start of the MotoGP Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

In a breathtaking display of speed and skill, Francesco Bagnaia clinched a record-breaking pole position at the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix, intensifying the competitive fervor at the historic Assen circuit, known affectionately as "The Cathedral" of motorbike racing. Just fractions of a second behind him, Jorge Martin secured the second spot on the starting grid, followed by Maverick Vinales, who took third, rounding out an exhilarating qualifying session that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

During the initial rounds of qualifying, the pace was ferociously set by Bagnaia with a lap time of 1m31.048s, only for Martin to briefly eclipse this with a swift 1m30.877s on his first flying lap. However, Bagnaia was not to be outdone. In the second run of the Q2 session, he blazed through the track to set a record time of 1m30.540s, asserting a clear dominance that remained unchallenged for the duration of the session.

As the qualifying drew to a close, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Jorge Martin made a valiant effort to snatch the pole from Bagnaia but fell short by just 0.081 seconds. The final moments also saw remarkable improvements from Maverick Vinales and Alex Marquez, who secured third and fourth places respectively, showing significant strides in their performance under pressure.

The session was not without its drama. Marc Marquez encountered a significant setback when he crashed late in the session, a mishap that relegated him to seventh place on the grid. This incident followed a heated on-track clash with Aleix Espargaro, culminating in aggressive maneuvers at the final chicane and Turn 7. Additionally, the qualifying rounds saw Fabio Quartararo and Marco Bezzecchi struggle, with Bezzecchi crashing at Turn 5 and Quartararo missing the cut for Q2 by a narrow margin.

Was it worth the wait for the rider?

"Absolutely, but I was struggling a lot to finding the limit to [reach] pole position, but in the last few races I’ve always been a little closer and to finally achieve it today, in front of this crowd, was fantastic," he said after the session. "We will try to do the same this afternoon: lead and open up the advantage a little. It won’t be easy but I’m very happy."

While the spotlight was rightly on the top qualifiers, noteworthy performances were also seen from racers like Pedro Acosta and Raul Fernandez, who excelled in Q1 but encountered difficulties advancing further. Further down the grid, Franco Morbidelli, Brad Binder, and Enea Bastianini managed to secure respectable placements within the top twelve. Johann Zarco, on the other hand, struggled to find pace against his rivals, finishing in 19th place, a reflection of the harsh variances in performance across different teams and manufacturers.