Bagnaia Smashes Lap Record to Take Pole at Malaysian MotoGP, Celebrates Achievement

Bagnaia Breaks Lap Record to Secure Pole Position at Malaysian MotoGP

Francesco Bagnaia set a blistering pace in the Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying, taking pole position after an intense duel with MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin. The Italian Ducati factory rider shattered his own Sepang lap record with an impressive 1m56.336s, responding to Martin’s earlier groundbreaking time of 1m56.553s. Despite a final lap attempt, Martin, aboard his Pramac Ducati, couldn’t reclaim the top spot from Bagnaia.

Bagnaia’s pole position puts him in a prime position for both the sprint and the main race, crucial as he aims to reduce Martin’s 17-point championship lead before the season finale. The two title contenders were in a league of their own during qualifying, with Alex Marquez, who won the 2023 Sepang sprint, taking the third spot almost a second behind Bagnaia, completing the front row for Gresini Ducati.

Earlier in the day, Bagnaia had showcased his strong form by leading FP2, topping all practice sessions before the qualifiers. In Q1, LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco posted a late 1m57.635, securing his place in Q2 alongside KTM’s Brad Binder, who narrowly edged out Tech3 GasGas rider Pedro Acosta.

While Bagnaia and Martin drew the most attention in Q2, Franco Morbidelli impressed by achieving his best qualifying result since San Marino, placing fourth for Pramac Ducati. He’ll start alongside Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati) and factory Ducati’s Enea Bastianini, who had a