IndianOil Grand Prix of India: Marco Bezzecchi snatches first-ever pole position at Buddh International Circuit

Greater Noida, Sep 23: The inaugural MotoGP qualifying round at India's Buddh International Circuit has ended on a high note, setting the stage for a thrilling IndianOil Grand Prix.

Marco Bezzecchi, from Italy's Mooney VR46 Racing Team, created a sensational ripple across the racing fraternity by setting a new lap record with a time of 1'43.947. This feat was enough to clinch a pole position, much to the excitement of his fans on the grandstands and globally.

Tour title rival, the Spaniard Jorge Martin from Prima Pramac Racing, who had been leading in the practice round, fell short of the Italian's spectacular time by just 0.043 seconds.

MotoGP Championship Leader Bagnaia Battles for a Third-Place Start

Italian Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team, currently leading the Championship, delivered a tremendous performance to bag the final front-row spot. He showcased a perfect example of controlled aggression, leaving hefty dark skid marks on the Indian circuit as he manoeuvred his mean machine to stay in the race.

Saturday's Q1 session saw intense competition, with Raul Fernandez of CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team claiming victory and securing a spot for Q2. Despite a crash during the final stages, Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing MotoGP secured the second spot for Q2. The Q2 qualifier added more heat to the tournament with a neck-to-neck battle for the pole position.

Close Competition in MotoGP

Bezzecchi and Martin led the pack in the Q2 session with their impressive first flyers. Bezzecchi broke all previous track records with the first-ever 1'43 lap at the Buddh Circuit.

Despite the tough competition from Martin and Luca Marini, no one could outpace Bezzecchi's time. Meanwhile, Bagnaia delivered a fiery performance, ensuring his presence on the front row beside his title rivals.

With Bezzecchi, Martin, and Bagnaia making up the front row, many eyes are on the second row with Luca Marini of Mooney VR46 Racing Team in P4 followed by a delighted Joan Mir of Repsol Honda Team in P5.

Marc Marquez of the Repsol Honda Team secured P6 with Johann Zaro of Prima Pramac Racing in P7. The middle of the third row will see Fabio Quartararo of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in P8. Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia Racing took P9 and P10 respectively.