Marc Márquez's Centenary Pole at Mugello

Saturday's sprint began in the best possible way with a qualifying session where the top four times were all under the previous absolute record at the Mugello circuit. Although the morning started with a free practice session where it seemed the KTMs could challenge the Ducatis at Mugello, especially with Maverick Viñales leading the session, and Acosta finishing among the top five, alongside the Márquez brothers and Fabio Quartararo, who was nursing his left shoulder after a nasty fall on the first day.

Before the pole battle among the weekend's fastest riders, there was one last chance to make it to Q2. In the fifteen-minute Q1 session, two Spaniards secured their tickets to the final session. Fermín Aldeguer, with the only Ducati not in the top ten on Friday, and Raúl Fernández with the satellite Aprilia, who snatched the position from Australian Jack Miller by a mere 14 thousandths.

All the Hondas were out of Q2, led by Frenchman Johann Zarco in 14th, and a lacklustre Joan Mir in 18th. The KTMs of Brad Binder and Enea Bastianini, 15th and 16th respectively, contrasted with the good performances of their brand mates, Viñales and Acosta.

The Three Tenors

From the first moments of Q2, the Ducatis showed they had no rivals over a single lap. On his first attempt, and following his brother, Marc Márquez managed to lap under the circuit record held by Jorge Martín from last year's pole, but Bagnaia was close, and Quartararo wanted to surprise, although the Yamahas lost a lot in the final sector, where the long straight penalised the Japanese bike's lack of power.

There was still the second set of soft tyres, and the battle began. Quartararo was the first to beat Marc's time, but his joy was short-lived as the Ducati arsenal soon restored order on the grid. Bagnaia thrilled the Italian tifosi, but his teammate soon rained on his parade, stopping the clock at 1'44.169, 335 thousandths below Martín's 2024 pole.

For Marc Márquez, this pole, his sixth of the year in nine grands prix, the 72nd of his career in the premier class, and the 100th across all world championship categories, was special not only for being a centenary but also for achieving it at a circuit where he hasn't won since 2014 and has historically struggled: "100 poles sounds good, and getting it at Mugello, a circuit that is tough for me and hasn't been one of the best, sounds even better. What pleases me most is that I'm close to Pecco and Álex, who have a bit more at this circuit," confessed the Cervera genius.

Pecco Bagnaia's second place only confirms his progress after struggling to adapt to the new Ducati at the start of the year, and that Mugello is his circuit, where he has won the last three races. The Italian will start from his best position of the year on the grid, intending to challenge the Márquez brothers. Closing the third row will be the younger Márquez, the dark horse of this championship, as he likes to call himself, but who is always among the best.

Following the Ducati trio, Fabio Quartararo will start fourth, already more than two-tenths behind the day's poleman. Fifth is Maverick Viñales, who has better race pace than single-lap speed and is poised as the main rival to the Italian bikes, although he will first have to fend off another Ducati, Morbidelli's, which closes the second row.

In the third row will be another local rider with Ducati, Di Giannantonio, ahead of Spaniards Pedro Acosta and Álex Rins, who in the final moments hindered Márquez as he sought another fast lap attempt. Although the incident was investigated, he ultimately escaped penalty. From the fourth row, Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi will start alongside the Q1 qualifiers, Raúl Fernández and Fermín Aldeguer.