Austrian MotoGP Qualifying Results | Maiden pole for Bastianini, Ducati 1-2-3-4

Enea Bastianini will start a MotoGP race from pole position for the first time in his fledgling career after emerging as the quickest of a formidable Ducati contingent that otherwise locked out 1-2-3-4 on the grid for the Austrian MotoGP.

In a breakthrough sophomore season that has seen the Gresini Racing rider top the podium on three occasions already this year, his first pole position comes at a fortuitous time amid Ducati’s decision over whether he or Pramac’s Jorge Martin will be promoted to the factory for 2023.

While few could look beyond Ducati’s expansive eight-bike flotilla of options for pole position having dominated free practice around a Red Bull Ring it has achieved six wins from nine races held, it was less clear which rider would ultimately prevail.

With many pointing to the Pramac duo of Johann Zarco, who was on pole last time out at Silverstone and quickest in practice, and last year’s Austrian MotoGP winner Jorge Martin as the cautious favourites, it was instead the factory pair of Jack Miller and then Pecco Bagnaia that looked on course for the top spot.

However, in a determined last lap charge, Bastianini - despite being slower than Bagnaia coming into the final sector - pulled out of the bag to snatch pole position by 0.024s. It marks his first career MotoGP pole position and a first for Gresini Racing since the 2012 British MotoGP at Silverstone with Alvaro Bautista.

As expected, Ducati largely dominates the top grid positions with Bagnaia and Miller completing the front row, with Martin and Zarco fourth and sixth.

Among them, only championship leader Fabio Quartararo could penetrate the Ducati stronghold in fifth place, despite some mistakes as the Yamaha man pushed his comparatively lacklustre package the edge.

Maverick Vinales headed up the Aprilia challenge in seventh place, the Spaniard faring better than his team-mate Aleix Espargaro who, having worked his way through Q1, could only manage ninth on the grid after having his best lap deleted for marginal track limits at Turn 8.

Suzuki succeeded in getting both of its bikes into Q2 with Joan Mir eighth - with an identical time to Espargaro in ninth - and Alex Rins in 11th.

Fabio di Giannantonio joined his pole sitting team-mate in Q2 after progressing through Q1 before going on to tenth on the grid, while Brad Binder put the best of the KTMs in 12th.

With Espargaro and di Giannantonio squeezing into Q2 via Q1, there was disappointment primarily for the VR46 Ducati squad after Luca Marini fell just 0.036s short of joining the fight for pole position, while rookie team-mate Marco Bezzecchi paid the price for a late fall at the new chicane to be left 20th.

Alex Marquez was another to tumble at the same time and at the same spot as Bezzecchi, albeit in separate incidents, to end up 25th and last, but his LCR team-mate fared better as the top Honda rider in 14th, ahead of Pol Espargaro and the best of the other Yamaha riders Franco Morbidelli.

With Brad Binder keeping KTM bosses happy further up the grid, Miguel Oliveira - who is still being chased by the Austrian firm for its rebranded satellite GASGAS entry next year - could only manage 17th at the circuit he achieved his maiden MotoGP win in 2020.

Andrea Dovizioso, meanwhile, will start his penultimate MotoGP race in 19th position as he prepares for his swansong outing next time out at Misano.

2022 Austrian MotoGP | Red Bull Ring | Qualifying RESULTS