LUSAIL: Ducati’s Marc Marquez preserved his perfect qualifying record in the 2025 MotoGP season when he clinched a fourth straight pole position with an all-time lap record at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday.

Marquez, who also took pole in Thailand, Argentina and the United States, had set the fastest time early in the second qualifying session (Q2) before Fabio Quartararo briefly took pole for Yamaha.

Quartararo’s elation lasted just a few seconds, however, when championship leader Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing snatched top spot from the Frenchman.

But both riders could only watch as Marc Marquez went faster right at the end of the session to clock one minute and 50.499 seconds at the Lusail International Circuit.

“On the first tyre Alex was super fast. He was riding in a very good way,” said Marc, who is one point behind his younger brother in the championship. “That last lap was not a clean lap but enough to be on a pole position. Unexpected pole position here in Qatar, honestly speaking.”

VR46 Racing’s Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio will start on the second row alongside Red Bull KTM’s Maverick Vinales.

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia, who is third in the championship, crashed during Q2 when he lost control at turn four and the Italian will start 11th on the grid.

Bagnaia, the double world champion, has struggled to keep pace with his new factory Ducati stablemate this season.

Marquez had won all three sprints and two Sunday grands prix until he crashed while leading the last race, the Grand Prix of the Americas.

Defending champion Jorge Martin also made his return to the track for the first time this season after recovering from fractures sustained in a pre-season testing crash.

But the Aprilia rider, who said Friday’s practice felt like “the first day of school”, could not qualify for Q2 and he will start from 14th on the grid.

Marc Marquez later won his fourth straight sprint of the season to retake the lead in the riders’ championship standings while his younger brother Alex of Gresini Racing took second place yet again.

The two brothers have finished first and second in each of the four sprints this season as Marc, who led from start to finish, moved up to 98 points while Alex is two points behind.

VR46 Racing’s Franco Morbidelli came in third while Alex’s rookie teammate Fermin Aldeguer had an impressive ride to come fourth for his best-ever MotoGP finish.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2025