The air crackled in Catalonia as Álex Márquez roared to a historic pole position. The 29-year-old Gresini rider didn’t just grab the top spot; he broke the circuit record with an amazing 1:37.536 lap. This was a big moment for Márquez, who finished seventh in the World Championship last season. His record-setting pace put him almost three tenths of a second ahead of Fabio Quartararo. Quartararo started from a tough qualifying session but still pushed his Yamaha onto the front row. Not far behind, Marc Márquez, the current leader in the rider standings with an impressive 455 points, secured third fastest with a time of 1:37.945. What a showing from the Spanish riders on their home track!
For Miguel Oliveira, Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix will be a bit more of an uphill battle. He’s set to start from 16th on the grid. His fastest lap was a 1:38.210, putting him just 105 thousandths of a second behind his teammate, Jack Miller, who qualified 14th. Miller recently inked a new deal with Prima Pramac, securing his spot.
Oliveira, a talented rider from Almada, faces a different kind of pressure. He knows he won’t be a factory or main rider next season. Pramac Prima already announced that change. So, every race from now until the end of the year is super important. He’s pushing hard to show what he can do, aiming for the best possible finishes. He needs to make every corner count.
What a day of ups and downs for the grid!