MotoGP Brazil Q2: Di Giannantonio Takes Pole, Marquez Crashes!

Fabio Di Giannantonio secured pole position at the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Grand Prix of Brazil, marking the first MotoGP qualifying session at the Autódromo Ayrton Senna in over two decades. The Gresini Ducati rider posted a fastest lap time during a dramatic Q2 session, finishing ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez.

The qualifying session was punctuated by multiple crashes, including incidents involving championship leader Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. Marquez initially set the pace with a 1:17.491, but fell in Turn 4 shortly after. Bagnaia also crashed during the session, damaging both Lenovo Ducati GP26 bikes.

Brazilian rookie Diogo Moreira, racing on home soil for the first time in MotoGP, narrowly missed out on a Q2 spot, finishing fourth in Q1. Moreira debuted a special helmet design honoring Ayrton Senna, celebrating the return of MotoGP to Brazil after a 22-year absence. The circuit itself was renamed in honor of the three-time Formula 1 world champion following his death in 1994.

Pedro Acosta, after a strong performance in Friday’s practice, also crashed during Q2 but was unharmed. Fabio Quartararo managed a late surge, improving to fourth place, although Toprak Razgatlioglu finished 12th in his first Q2 appearance.

The session was briefly interrupted by yellow flags due to the crashes, hindering several riders’ attempts to improve their lap times. Di Giannantonio’s pole position time remained unchallenged in the final minutes, securing him the top spot on the grid for Sunday’s race.

The starting grid for the race will notice Di Giannantonio leading Bezzecchi and Marquez in the first row, followed by Quartararo, Jorge Martin, and Ai Ogura in the second. Acosta will start from ninth position, while Razgatlioglu will start the race from 12th.