San Marino MotoGP Qualifying Results | Miller lands first MotoGP pole since 2018

Jack Miller will start on pole position for a MotoGP race for only the second time in his premier class career after prevailing in a fast and frantic damp-to-dry qualifying session at Misano.

The Australian, competing on Italian soil for the last time as a Ducati rider, was one of several riders in the hunt for the top spot during a session that built to a thrilling climax as track conditions steadily improved following a shower mid-way through Q1.

Indeed, though most riders began the Q2 session on wet tyres as a precaution, it was soon clear the best laps would be achieved on slick rubber, with lap times coming back down to sub-1min 32secs by the time the sessions was over.

At the flag, Miller and his1m 31.889secs lap would prove just strong enough to deny Ducati factory team-mate Pecco Bagnaia in second place, the margin between the two just 0.015secs.

The result represents a timely boost - not to mention a leaving gift for Ducati before he heads to KTM for the 2023 MotoGP season - for fan favourite Miller.

Indeed, despite being one of MotoGP’s more consistently good qualifiers, he has only started a MotoGP race from pole position once before. That came during the 2018 Argentinian MotoGP when he ended up starting several rows ahead of the whole field following a tyre change fiasco.

Ducati once again ruled the roost with a 1-2-3-4 in terms of lap time, though second place man Bagnaia will get away from fifth place after he was handed a three-place grid penalty on Friday.

That lifts Miller’s replacement in the Ducati factory team, Enea Bastianini, into second place while impressive rookie Marco Bezzecchi - one of the riders to persistently return to the top spot as lap times improved - secured his second front row start of the year by lifting from fourth to third.

Similarly, Maverick Vinales also benefits from Bagnaia’s penalty as the best of the non-Ducati riders in fourth place. Despite being displaced by his penalty, crucially Bagnaia still starts ahead of his title rivals Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro.

Arriving in Misano with three wins on the bounce, Bagnaia is slowly inching his way back into title contention as a result and is now well placed to claw back more ground on his rivals after Quartararo could only manage eighth and Espargaro ninth.

Johann Zarco gets away from sixth place, followed by Luca Marini - who like VR46 Ducati team-mate Bezzecchi progressed into Q2 from Q1.

Miguel Oliveira enjoyed one of his best qualifying performances of the year in tenth position as the sole KTM rider to make it into Q2, while Franco Morbidelli and Alex Rins rounded out row four in 11th and 12th.

With rain arriving midway through the session to scupper those looking to oust Bezzecchi and Marini from the first two spots, Jorge Martin was the highest profile loser to be left in 13th place, ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio and Brad Binder.

Meanwhile, Andrea Dovizioso’s very final MotoGP race will get underway from 18th place on the RNF Yamaha.

2022 San Marino MotoGP | Misano | Qualifying Results