Who Claimed Pole Position in MotoGP 2025 at Valencia?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Marco Bezzecchi clinched pole position for the Grand Prix of Valencian Community
- All top five riders broke the previous lap record
- Close competition with less than a tenth of a second separating the top five
- Exciting prospects for the upcoming Tissot Sprint
- Dramatic moments included crashes and tire management challenges
Valencia (Spain), Nov 15 (NationPress) Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) secured the coveted pole position for the Grand Prix of Valencian Community, emerging as the fastest among a group of five riders, all of whom achieved times below the previous lap record, with less than a tenth separating the top five during the qualifying rounds of the MotoGP 2025 season.
The Italian's time of 1:28.809 was just 0.026s quicker than Alex Marquez's (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) best effort, and 0.044s ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio's (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) personal record, setting the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating Tissot Sprint.
The qualifying session began with Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha Factory Racing Team) crashing at Turn 8 on Yamaha’s V4, while his teammate Raul Fernandez led Q1, topping the timesheet by 0.032s. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) started strong, sitting in second place, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) close behind in third. Aleix Espargaro (Honda HRC Test Team) held fourth, with only 0.099s separating the leading quartet.
As the session progressed, Bagnaia climbed into the top two, only to be sidelined by a trackside issue, resulting in his drop to P5 as Binder and then Espargaro pushed him further down the leaderboard. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) made a late surge to P3, securing Raul Fernandez and Zarco their Q2 tickets, while Bagnaia faced a challenging start from P16, just ahead of Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing).
The final Q2 commenced with local hero Acosta clocking the fastest opening lap at 1:29.298, with Fernandez and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) close behind. Bezzecchi faced a scare at Turn 2 but managed to regroup, eventually posting a stunning 1:28.809, setting a new all-time lap record.
Quartararo improved to P3, while Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) secured P5. As the clock wound down, Marquez and Di Giannantonio also improved their times, pushing Acosta off the front row. With tire life dwindling, Bezzecchi claimed the pole in a thrilling Q2 showdown.
Fernandez faced the harsh realities of MotoGP but emerged from Q1 with promising results. Acosta will surely feel the sting of P5, despite being less than a tenth behind Bezzecchi, while Quartararo qualified P6, 0.169s off the leader.
Morbidelli, Miller, and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) will start from the third row, while Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), Zarco, and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) prepare to launch from P10, P11, and P12 respectively.