Quartararo, Bagnaia quotes before title-decider: MotoGP

Martin takes pole ahead of Marquez, with Miller third and Quartararo just 0.066 off the front row as Bagnaia faces down a date with destiny from eighth

Valencia, 5 November 2022: This is it. The stage is set for the #TheDecider. On pole it’s Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to make some interesting front row dynamics, while Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) pushed as hard has he could – and then some – to earn P4 on the grid at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

JORGE MARTIN

“It was a difficult day, I felt good in terms of pace but for a time attack I didn’t have that extra this morning but this afternoon I found something and with the hard front I feel much better in braking. The first stint was great which I didn’t expect because normally you need 2 or 3 laps on the right side, on the second stint I thought I could improve but I had some moments on the rear, but finally pole position, third in a row and fifth of the season. I’m happy but the important thing is tomorrow and I’ll give it everything!”

FABIO QUARTARARO

Can you win from P4?
“Yes, I think we have the possibility. Our pace looks much better than the position we start on the race and yeah, looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

How much did you have to push?
“Yeah over the limit, but you know it’s a race where I need to be at my maximum to try to be on top and to have the possibility to fight for the victory tomorrow was super important to be on the second row.”

Are the first 2/3 laps going to be crucial?
“Yeah it’s going to be crucial and it’s also going to be super important to not make any stupid mistakes, but I’m feeling ready and I feel like we are doing a pretty good job.”

FRANCESCO BAGNAIA

Did today go to plan?
“No absolutely not. Starting from yesterday we are struggling a bit with new tyres and also for the time attack, me and other two or three riders with the Ducati are having the same issue. We have to consider the positives and I think our pace with used tyres is quite good, with new tyres we’re struggling a bit more compared to other riders but I think from 8-10 laps we can be competitive and start to be at the front.”

How nervous are you for the first few laps?
“On this moment I’m just thinking of what to do to improve my bike with my team, I think the ideas we have are good. I’m just thinking on that, I know if I start thinking ‘ah I’m starting eighth, I have to do this, this and this,’ it’s the worst. So I will try to start well for sure but in this moment I just want to focus on my bike.”

Qualies

Importantly for Yamaha’s title contender, he will start a full row ahead of World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who qualified eighth – with everything still very much possible in this title fight…

As was the case a fortnight ago in Malaysia, Martin was on the pace immediately in Q2, setting a 1:29.621 which would still be fastest at the end of the first runs. Miller was second on a 1:29.834 and Quartararo fourth on a 1:30.135, while Bagnaia was back to pitlane after a single 1:30.766 which left him 11th when the track went quiet.

Miller’s hopes of one last pole for Ducati then disappeared when he crashed at Turn 2, while an under-the-weather Marc Marquez jumped from ninth to P2 when he fired in a 1:30.049. Bagnaia then moved to sixth, ahead of Quartararo, before ‘El Diablo’ leapfrogged his title rival by clocking a 1:30.027.

There were more yellow flags when Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) had a spill at Turn 6, while Bagnaia toured the run-off at Turn 8. Quartararo was still on a hot lap and, fortunately for him, it was unaffected as he sought to elevate himself further up the grid. He did indeed move up two spots more to fourth with a 1:29.900 before running into the Turn 2 gravel trap on his final lap of the session – although that was in fact a moot point with replays showing FQ20 also running onto the green at Turn 1 beforehand.

Martin had no improvement during his second run but still bagged pole, ahead of Marc Marquez and Miller, who kept his berth on the front row despite the tumble. Quartararo heads up Row 2, next to Q1 graduate Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and the pace-setter in that earlier qualifying session, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was classified seventh, ahead of Bagnaia, Zarco, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had moved into second place in Q1 with a 1:30.193 but Rins hit back and then Bastianini’s chances of advancing to Q2 were dashed when he crashed at Turn 2 – rider okay. ‘La Bestia’ is set to start 13th and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who topped FP4 and then threatened to upstage both Viñales and Rins late in Q1, from 14th.

On Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +1), the 2022 World Champion will be decided. Two riders, 23 points and one single crown puts everything on the line in one final showdown for the year – and era. Do. Not. Miss. This.

The top-grid;

1 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1’29.621
2 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – +0.205
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.213

4 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.279

8 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.428