Portuguese MotoGP: Quartararo on pole as Bagnaia lap deleted
Francesco Bagnaia had a record-smashing pole lap cancelled for a yellow flag infringement in a dramatic MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix qualifying, with Fabio Quartararo promoted to pole.

The Ducati rider blasted the old Algarve lap record with a 1m38.494s on his final lap, but a crash for 2020 Portugal poleman Miguel Oliveira brought out the yellow flags and cost Bagnaia his lap.
Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro set the early benchmark at a solid 1m39.452s, but this was blasted by Quartararo, who fired in a weekend-best of 1m39.028s.
The FP4 pacesetter was on course to better this on his second lap, but a snap on the front-end of his Yamaha under braking for Turn 8 forced him to abort.
At the same time, Pramac's Johann Zarco was putting some serious pressure on Quartararo's lap, but he crashed at the Turn 11 Portimao corner.
This wound up affecting both Bagnaia on the Ducati and Quartararo's teammate Maverick Vinales, who had their fastest laps at that point cancelled.
This dropped Bagnaia from second to 11th and Vinales from fifth to seventh, with Petronas SRT's Franco Morbidelli promoted to second courtesy of the former's lap cancellation.
Quartararo bettered his earlier effort on the first lap of his second run with a 1m38.862s, before Bagnaia put this under immense pressure.
Bagnaia blitzed the field by over four tenths with his final effort, only for it to be scrubbed and drop him down to 11th as Quartararo was promoted to his 11th career MotoGP pole.
Suzuki's Alex Rins leaped up to third from ninth late on, with Bagnaia's lap cancellation promoting Rins to second.
Championship leader Zarco's earlier crash didn't dent his confidence much as he salvaged a front row start with a 1m39.991s putting him third ahead of Jack Miller and Morbidelli.
Returning six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez was fastest in Q1 and will start his first race in nine months from the back of the second row in sixth, while Aleix Espargaro heads row three on the Aprilia.
Luca Marini scored his best MotoGP qualifying result in eighth on his Avintia Ducati, with world champion Joan Mir – who followed Marquez through Q1 – only ninth on the second Suzuki.
Oliveira was left in 10th after his late crash, with Bagnaia heading Yamaha's Vinales – who had two fast laps at the end cancelled – to complete the top 12.
Alex Marquez was the sole LCR representative in qualifying after teammate Takaaki Nakagami elected to sit out the session as he battles a shoulder injury from his scary FP2 crash.
The younger Marquez brother couldn't challenge for a Q2 place and ended up 0.228s away in 13th, with Pol Espargaro 0.066s further adrift in 14th.
The factory Honda rider's preparations for Q1 were somewhat disrupted by a heavy high-side at the final corner in FP4, but walked away from that spill largely unscathed.
Brad Binder will start 15th on the KTM ahead of Avintia rookie Enea Bastianini, while Valentino Rossi's woes continue in 2021 as he could only manage 17th on his SRT Yamaha.
Danilo Petrucci headed Tech3 teammate Iker Lecuona in 18th, while Lorenzo Savadori on the Aprilia was last of the runners in Q1 in 20th.
Nakagami's participation in Sunday's race looks in doubt, while Pramac rookie Jorge Martin has been ruled out following his violent crash in FP3 which has put him in hospital.
Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | |
![]() |
Yamaha | 1'38.862 | |
2 | |
![]() |
Suzuki | 1'38.951 | 0.089 |
3 | |
![]() |
Ducati | 1'38.991 | 0.129 |
4 | |
![]() |
Ducati | 1'39.061 | 0.199 |
5 | |
![]() |
Yamaha | 1'39.103 | 0.241 |
6 | |
![]() |
Honda | 1'39.121 | 0.259 |
7 | |
![]() |
Aprilia | 1'39.169 | 0.307 |
8 | |
![]() |
Ducati | 1'39.386 | 0.524 |
9 | |
![]() |
Suzuki | 1'39.398 | 0.536 |
10 | |
![]() |
KTM | 1'39.445 | 0.583 |
11 | |
![]() |
Ducati | 1'39.482 | 0.620 |
12 | |
![]() |
Yamaha | 1'39.807 | 0.945 |
13 | |
![]() |
Honda | 1'39.530 | 0.668 |
14 | |
![]() |
Honda | 1'39.710 | 0.848 |
15 | |
![]() |
KTM | 1'39.776 | 0.914 |
16 | |
![]() |
Ducati | 1'39.855 | 0.993 |
17 | |
![]() |
Yamaha | 1'39.943 | 1.081 |
18 | |
![]() |
KTM | 1'40.202 | 1.340 |
19 | |
![]() |
KTM | 1'40.408 | 1.546 |
20 | |
![]() |
Aprilia | 1'40.444 | 1.582 |
21 | |
![]() |
Honda | ||
View full results |

Jorge Martin set for surgery after violent MotoGP practice crash
Vinales "cannot understand" cancelled MotoGP qualifying laps

Latest news
2022 MotoGP title fight now "very tight", says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season is being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock in Austria for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip left him tumbling down the order from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former teammate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider.
Why Andrea Dovizioso is leaving MotoGP at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy.
Why Alex Rins feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Motorsport.com - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about.
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have