DUCATI rider Francesco Bagnaia secured his second pole position of the season by setting a new lap record during qualifying for the Japanese MotoGP.
The reigning double world champion posted a blistering time of one minute and 42.911 seconds at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit on Saturday.
2020 champion Joan Mir qualified in second place, while championship leader Marc Marquez completed the front row in third.
Bagnaia expressed his delight with the performance and the improved feeling with his motorcycle.
“It’s incredible, the feeling I’m having,” Bagnaia said.
“I feel that I can push.”
He added that this level of control was something he had been missing since the previous season.
Marc Marquez leads the championship standings with 512 points ahead of his brother Alex, who qualified eighth.
Marquez acknowledged the challenge but said his confidence was growing despite a small crash in an earlier practice session.
“Nobody said it was going to be easy,” Marquez stated.
He confirmed that he felt comfortable on the bike during the qualifying session.
Reigning champion Jorge Martin had a difficult day and will start the race from 17th position after failing to progress into the second qualifying segment.
The sprint race will take place later on Saturday. – Reuters
