Bagnaia and Martin go head-to-head at Sepang

Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], November 2 (ANI): Francesco Bagnaia has stormed to an incredible pole position at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, annihilating the previous lap record after clocking 1:56.337. The Italian executed a flawless lap, setting up the remainder of the weekend by securing a 0.216s advantage over title rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). He smashed into the 1:56 bracket early on but was unable to respond on his second run after Bagnaia's new benchmark was set. Bagnaia and Martin will be joined by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) on the front row after a strong lap from the 73 placed the Spaniard P3 - 0.938s adrift.

FP2 gave teams and riders a final opportunity to perfect their setups, with Bagnaia topping the timesheets after a busy session for the number 1, completing laps on the circuit with Martin. The stage was now set for qualifying, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) setting an incredible pace at the start of Q1. Times began to drop as the riders returned to track for their second run, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) digging deep to secure the top two spots, a release said.

Once Q2 clicked into gear, Martin set the pace on the opening lap, charging into the 1:56 bracket for the first time. He improved further, setting a new record and a new time for title rival Bagnaia to chase after the Italian ended his first run in P2. The reigning World Champion came out fighting on his second run, pushing to the limit and setting an unbelievable 1:56.337 as teammate Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) suffered a crash in the final minute.

Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) spearheads the second row of the grid, improving his time in the closing moments of Q2 to bag fourth on the grid. The Italian will start ahead of Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), who could not find further time to qualify on the front row with fresh tyres. He will have Bastianini for company on the second row of the grid, with the Italian unable to improve on the time set on his first run after a crash at Turn 15.

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will start as the top Pierer Mobility rider, claiming seventh on the grid and continuing an incredible weekend. He will be joined by Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins on the third row, with the Yamaha duo making a further step at Sepang, the release said.

Further back, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will start from 13th on the grid after missing out on Q2 by 0.039s. The rookie will start in front of Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing), who have work to do as the lights go out. Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will head from 17th on the grid as he continues to make a noteworthy return to MotoGP. (ANI)