The starting grid of the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Catalunya is set, with Pedro Acosta qualifying on pole. The #37 secured the spot with a lap of 1:38.068 after a strong Q2 session. Joining him on the front row will be Franco Morbidelli and Álex Márquez. Read on for all the action and the final MotoGP qualifying result at the Catalan GP.
Dramatic Finish in the Final Minutes of Q1
After crashing in Friday’s Practice session, Jorge Martín found himself in Q1 along with Francesco Bagnaia. The #63 was the first to set a time attack but fell short of the top two spots. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider was one of three riders out on the Catalunya circuit running on both soft front and rear tyres. Meanwhile, Diogo Moreira was following closely behind Martín. The Brazilian rider jumped ahead of the 2024 MotoGP World Champion but still outside the top two.
Maverick Viñales proved he is well and truly back in MotoGP, finding his first lap in the 1:38s. His teammate, Enea Bastianini, went to the top with a 1:38.797. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu led a trio of riders coming into Turn 4, but rode out wide into the gravel. With half the session complete, the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider had not yet set a qualifying time. While they eventually did so, the Turkish rider crashed at Turn 5 before the session ended.
Meanwhile, Martin aired his frustrations as Moreira remained close by. The #89 rider managed to match Bastianini’s top time attack. Another lap later, that time was beaten by less than a tenth of a second. However, the Spaniard wasn’t able to make another attempt as they found themselves in the gravel for the third time this weekend.
With Fermín Aldeguer also crashing a moment later, there was very little opportunity to push out Bastianini and Martín from the advancing spots. But Franco Morbidelli managed to do it, coming up to the top with a lap of 1:38.550. Bagnaia had been on a flying last lap, but missed out on making it to Q2 by five hundredths of a second.
Acosta Storms Ahead to Take Pole
After the high drama at the end of Q1, Martín and Morbidelli joined the other Q2 contenders to battle for the front row. Everyone was on the front medium tyres and soft rear tyres as the first flying laps were clocked. Pedro Acosta was the first at the top of the board, immediately beating his lap of 1:38.397 by over two tenths. The #37 returned to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing garage with a provisional front row start alongside Á.Márquez and Raúl Fernández.
Joan Mir, the fastest in the earlier Free Practice 2 session, was sitting in provisional P5 as the riders came back out for the second run of the session. However, the #36 was not the only rider desperate to claw up the board onto the front row. While the question was asked about who would lead the train down the main straight, Marco Bezzecchi came down hard at Turn 2. The current 2026 MotoGP World Championship leader brought out the yellow flags, cancelling everyone’s lap times.
With less time and opportunity to move up the board, Acosta was doing whatever he could to defend his pole position. While some tried, no one could take the top spot from the Spaniard. The #37 beat his own lap once again to secure his first pole since the 2024 Japanese GP.
Championship Leaders Challenged
With Bezzecchi crashing in Q2, the #72 will start in P12, while his Aprilia Racing teammate, Martín, will be in the row ahead of him in P9. That leaves the door wide open for anyone behind them in the championship standings to secure some crucial points in the upcoming Tissot Sprint and Sunday race. Could this be the weekend that Acosta finally grabs his debut race on Sunday? Will there be a charge from the Aprilia riders to hang on to their lead? Whatever happens for the rest of this Catalan GP, we’ll be glued to our screens to bring you all the high-powered action of the MotoGP.