Bastianini took his MotoGP pole position debut in Austria

Six of the previous eight races at the Red Bull Ring and all free practice ahead of this Saturday’s pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix have been taken by Ducati riders. Its GP21 and GP22 got a compromise, it’s no longer as explosive on the straight and it’s improved on the curve to make it more versatile, but even so they’re perfectly suited to this stop&go circuit with high speeds and questionable- questionable safety. Anything other than a pole position from a non-Ducati rider would be a big surprise. And what is yet to be released is that the first place has been taken, Enea Bastianini who surpassed Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller.

For the riders whose bikes do not leave Borgo Panigale it is the most important Q2 of the year because after that 7 out of 8 in the top-10 on Friday it is important to qualify as much as possible and not to be swallowed up in their traffic. Two ruled themselves out of Q1, the two Mooney VR46 drivers Bezzecchi and Marini, but there are still six ‘coconut eaters’ left. And the most serious of this is Fabio Quartararo who will finally start fifth although surrounded by his rivals.

The Ducati dominated from the first fast turn

The first provisional pole was already marked by Jack Miller, author of the best time in FP1. But Aleix Espargaró with the only new soft rear he had left after going through Q1, squeezed it in his first launched lap to try to secure at least the second row, which in the end he was unable to do -he will start ninth-. With 1’28″898, Miller already showed the best time of the weekend in this first round, leading a hat-trick with Bastianini and Zarco and Aleix ahead of his rivals Quartararo and Bagnaia, the latter still has no time.

Espabila Bagnaia, from last to second

But the third in the World Championship reacted quickly, placing first, second, 0″101 behind Miller, and on his next lap he passed him by 0″102, taking provisional pole with more than two only minutes left.

And with that resolution of the top-5 official timed for Ducati Bastianini surprised the two official riders Bagnaia and Miller. In his fight to clear Miller in that box with Martín, he opened his pole position in MotoGP -he had not done it since 2018 in Moto3- and pointed to his fourth win of the year, the first since Le Mans, if he will. good start

The leader Fabio Quartararo managed to get through the Ducati in the second row, but between Pramac teammates Jorge Martín and Johann Zarco and it will depend on a good start and in the third row Maverick Viñales with Joan Mir and Aleix Espargaró. And on the fourth row the ‘last’ Ducati in this Q2 Fabio di Giannantonio with Alex Rins and Brad Binder.

Aleix and ‘Diggia’ took the pass in Q2

Second-classed in the World Championship, Aleix Espargaró remained in free practice two thousandths of a second from Joan Mir’s cut, forcing him to contest Q1 for the second time this year. The precedent, then he was physically at his best, was in Austin and then he did not go to the fight for pole positions, signed his worst position on the grid of the year, 13th, and then ended the race in eleventh, his worst. year classification.

Aleix was forced to wear two soft rears and only one left for Q2 and coincidentally he shook hands with his brother Pol who left together in this two rounds of Q1, but in the end Polyccio had not passed and became No. Giannantonio covered the pass with Aleix.

15th will start on the grid Pol Espargaró, 23rd Raúl Fernández and 25th and last Alex Márquez who crashed with Bezzecchi in the middle of the session.