par Francesco Bagnaia, sauvé quelques minutes plutôt des repêchages de la Q1, aura réussi à tenir tête à Jack Miller.
Q1
Lecuona et Bagnaia accèdent à la Q2 !
Les deux hommes se seront sauvés à l’issue des repêchages.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) et Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), qui se disputent le titre, espéraient tous deux se sauver à l’issue des repêchages. Mais si l’Italien parvenait à accomplir sa mission sans embuches, pour notre Niçois les choses se compliquent un peu en revanche… Comme pressenti, Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) venait en effet se mêler au combat afin de lui chiper cette fameuse deuxième place.
Plus tard, on apprenait finalement que l’ultime chrono d’El Diablo était annulé en raison d’un drapeau jaune. Autrement dit, le Français ne partira pas 13e … mais 15e ! Jamais il ne s’était élancé aussi loin cette année. Francesco Bagnaia et Iker Lecuona se joignent quant à eux aux dix qualifiés d’office.
Q2
Bagnaia rectifie le tir en qualifications, Quartararo seulement 15e
L’Italien, sauvé quelques minutes plutôt des repêchages, aura réussi à tenir tête à son propre coéquipier.
Un coup à jouer pour Bagnaia
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), dernier concurrent à pouvoir repousser le sacre de Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), ne pouvait pas espérer de meilleur scenario pour cette course à domicile. Preuve en est : après s’être fraîchement sauvé des repêchages, l’Italien parvenait une nouvelle fois à empocher la pole position, sa quatrième d’affilée. La dernière fois qu’un pilote Ducati avait fait aussi bien c’était en 2008 avec Casey Stoner.
Ajoutons par ailleurs que seuls trois pilotes avaient avant lui brillé en qualifications en étant venus de la Q1 en MotoGP™ : Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing) au GP d’Autriche 2021, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) au GP de Thaïlande 2018 et Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) au GP de Valence 2018.
Et Francesco Bagnaia avait d’autant plus de raisons de se réjouir que notre Niçois devait se contenter d’une 15e place sur la grille…
Une première ligne 100% Ducati
Malgré tout, ça ne se sera pas joué à grand-chose, puisqu’à peine 25 millièmes le séparaient de son coéquipier Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) faisait pour sa part sensation en se hissant à leur côté, au plus grand bonheur de Ducati, qui verrouillait donc cette première ligne. Jamais le rookie n’avait connu un tel privilège jusqu’à présent en catégorie reine.
Pol Espargaró (Repsol Honda Team) héritait pendant ce temps-là de la quatrième place ; tandis que Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) et Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) se classaient respectivement cinquième et sixième.
La suite du Top 10
La troisième rangée sera quant à elle composée de Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team), victime d’une chute en dépit de ce splendide rattrapage offert en début de séance, d’Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), l’autre rescapé des repêchages et de Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). À noter que tous deux se seront également fait piéger, tout comme Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing). Lequel complète d’ailleurs le Top 10.
Soyez donc au rendez-vous ce dimanche 14h (heure locale), pour le départ de la course MotoGP.
Dream ticket for @ducaticorse!!! 🔝@PeccoBagnaia takes a fourth straight pole ahead of team-mate @jackmilleraus and the sensational @Luca_Marini_97! 💪#EmiliaRomagnaGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/7xhHFvrkK6
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 23, 2021
Communiqué MotoGP
crédits photos Michelin Motorsport
English Information
Bagnaia and Lecuona through, Quartararo to line up in P15
The title fight took another major twist as the Frenchman recorded a season-worst qualifying
It was a session to remember for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, as the two progressed to Q2. In a dramatic session, the Italian’s 1:33.393 was enough to comfortably take P1 by 0.706s, while Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) failed to make his mark and will start Sunday’s race from P15.
The damp conditions made it difficult for a number of riders to master the Misano circuit, but there were no problems for Bagnaia who began to chalk up fast lap after fast lap. Quartararo kept pace with the GP 21 in the early stages, but hopes of easy passage through were quickly dismissed as Lecuona, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all pushed hard to move into the Q2 places, but it was the Tech 3 rider who would eventually take P2.
Crashes played a crucial role in deciding the fate of the second Q2 place, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team), Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponorama) all bringing out the yellow flags, the last of which seeing Quartararo’s final effort cancelled, and relegating him to a season-worst P15 grid start.
Q2
Match point: Bagnaia takes blistering pole, Quartararo 15th
The Italian matches a Stoner record on a scintillating Saturday afternoon at Misano as title leader Quartararo has work to do
For the first time since Casey Stoner in 2008, a Ducati rider has taken four consecutive MotoGP™ pole positions. That man is Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian storms through Q1 to grab a crucial Saturday afternoon P1 at the Gran Premio Nolan del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna, his 1:33.045 was 0.025s quicker than teammate Jack Miller as factory Ducati snatch a 1-2. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) earned a maiden MotoGP™ front row start to make is three Ducatis on the front row, as World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) fails to make it out of Q2 and will start 15th.
The Q1 battle – Bagnaia through, Quartararo out
Ahead of the pole position shootout, the top two in the World Championship faced Q1 on a treacherous Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli layout. Slick tyres were the way forward on a drying track, as Quartararo and Bagnaia began their most important 15 minutes of the season.
After two flying laps, it was Quartararo and Bagnaia 1-2 – but the times were tumbling lap after lap as the riders gained confidence in the very tricky conditions. With five minutes to go, it was so far, so good for the title contenders. However, Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) were making life difficult for the Frenchman.
Crashes for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in quick succession brought out numerous yellow flags. Bad news for Quartararo, because he was third – with Pecco P1. Alex Marquez was P2, and this was tense.
Following Quartararo, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pinched P2 to demote Quartararo to P3 – as yellow flags then came out for an Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) crash. That meant Quartararo’s session was done, his lap would be cancelled and for the first time in his MotoGP™ career, the World Championship leader would not be taking part in Q2 – P15 for El Diablo. On his final flying lap, Lecuona grabbed a late P2 to pinch a Q2 spot.
The tale of a tantalising Q2
Heading onto his first flying lap, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) produced a fine save tipping into Turn 2, which demonstrated the lack of grip out there in Q2. And demonstrating their 15-minute extra knowledge on track, the top two after the first flying laps were Bagnaia and Lecuona. On his next lap, Pecco extended his advantage to 1.2s over Lecuona as Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) crashed unhurt at Turn 8.
Martin then crashed again, this time at Turn 16 – rider ok – as Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) shot up to P2. The Italian wasn’t there for long though as Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) climbed to P2, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) claiming provisional P3. It was all kicking off though. Marc Marquez recovered from his early scare to take P3 with four minutes to go, Miller made it a Ducati 1-2 at the summit.
Miller improved on his next lap to go 0.025s off teammate Pecco, as Petrucci became the next rider to crash – Turn 6 this time. Teammate Lecuona crashed unhurt as more yellow flags came out, then Marc Marquez was down at Turn 6 before we saw Marini stick in a wonderful last lap to earn a first front row start in MotoGP™.
At the end of an incredibly stressful pair of qualifying sessions, Bagnaia becomes just the fourth rider to go from Q1 to pole – a huge, huge result for Pecco with Quartararo 15th.
How the top 12 line-up
Behind the trio of Ducati riders on the front row, Pol Espargaro is joined by Oliveira and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) on Row 2 – the latter is the only Yamaha rider in the top 14 at Misano. Marc Marquez had to settle for seventh after a troubled Q2, Lecuona lines up alongside his compatriot in P8 for his best-ever MotoGP™ qualifying result. Petrucci makes it a day to remember for Tech3 KTM Factory Racing on the Italian’s final race on home soil, as 10th place Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) suffers a late crash in his pursuit of a better starting place. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and the double crash for Martin see the Spaniards launch from P11 and P12.
Match point Sunday – will the title be decided ?
So, how about that. Quartararo fails to make it into Q2 for the first time ever, as Pecco capitalises to grab pole. Now, it’s time to look ahead to match point Sunday. Can Quartararo claw his way through the pack and claim the title, or can Pecco do enough to spoil the Frenchman’s party ? Find out at 14:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday afternoon.
