Valencia MotoGP Qualifying Results | Martin nabs pole after works Ducatis crash

Jorge Martin snatches pole position for the 2021 Valencia MotoGP finale from under the nose of the factory Ducati riders after crashing their final flyers

Jorge Martin - Pramac Racing Ducati
Jorge Martin - Pramac Racing Ducati

Jorge Martin will start the final race of an impressive rookie MotoGP campaign from pole position after snatching the top spot from under the nose of his factory Ducati counterparts in qualifying for the Valencia MotoGP.

The Spaniard - who is locked in a battle with Enea Bastianini for the Rookie of the Year honours this weekend - was in fine form around his home circuit to punch in the best time during the closing seconds of a fast and frantic session. 

Setting a time of 1m 29.936, the result marks his fourth pole position of the season and a fifth of the year for his Pramac Ducati team. 

Even so, he did have some fortune to be running on track ahead of Pecco Bagnaia - going for his sixth consecutive pole position - who had just fired in the fastest time of the session, only to suffer a low speed slide off at Turn 2 as he was winding up for his final flyer.

Leaving his spinning Ducati in the middle of the circuit, Bagnaia’s fall had the effect of ruining the laps of several riders following behind him, allowing Martin a clean run at pole position almost unopposed.

Even so, it looked like Martin’s efforts would be usurped by Jack Miller on the other factory Ducati as he posted fastest sector times coming into the final segment, only to also low slide off the track.

Despite their tumbles, Bagnaia and Miller completed an all-Ducati front row, with Suzuki’s Joan Mir preventing a top four lock out by going fourth, just ahead of Johann Zarco on the second of the Pramac machines.

Though he had to come through Q1, Alex Rins was on form to give Suzuki a double top six in sixth, while Brad Binder joined the Spaniard in making the most of his additional track time as the only KTM rider to reach Q2 in seventh.

New champion Fabio Quartararo was one of the riders caught out by Bagnaia’s fall, leaving him a frustrated eighth days after pointed comments that the Yamaha cannot compete with its rivals when it is having to fight back from middling grid positions.

Takaaki Nakagami was the only Honda highlight in a tough day, with Alex Marquez - fourth in Portimao last weekend - down in 19th after a crash in Q1, while Pol Espargaro didn’t take part at all after a heavy crash in FP3 that could rule him out of the final race of the year too.

Ahead of his very final MotoGP race, Valentino Rossi cracked Q2 for only the sixth time this year and made good for a tenth place start, ahead of Yamaha counterpart Franco Morbidelli in 11th and Aleix Espargaro in 12th.

Elsewhere, Bastianini faces a tough task to keep pole sitter Martin behind him in the fight for Rookie of the Year. The Italian leads his rival by three points, but starts down in 18th.

Valentino Rossi - Petronas SRT Yamaha, MotoGP
Valentino Rossi - Petronas SRT Yamaha, MotoGP

2021 Valencia MotoGP | Ricardo Tormo | Qualifying Results

2021 Valencia MotoGP | Ricardo Tormo | Qualifying Results | Round 18 / 18
Pos Rider Nat. MotoGP Team MotoGP Bike Timing
1 Jorge Martin ESP Pramac Racing Ducati GP21 1m 29.936
2 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati GP21 1m 30.000
3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati GP21 1m 30.325
4 Joan Mir ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki GSX-RR 1m 30.395
5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Racing Ducati GP21 1m 30.418
6 Alex Rins ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar Suzuki GSX-RR 1m 30.475
7 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM RC16 1m 30.509
8 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Energy Yamaha  Yamaha YZF-M1 1m 30.620
9 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda Idemitsu Honda RC213V 1m 30.644
10 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha YZF-M1 1m 30.746
11 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Energy Yamaha  Yamaha YZF-M1 1m 30.781
12 Aleix Espargaro ESP Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia RS-GP 1m 31.024
13 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha SRT Yamaha YZF-M1 1m 30.859
14 Maverick Vinales ESP Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprila RS-GP 1m 30.991
15 Iker Lecuona ESP Tech3 KTM Factory Racing KTM RC16 1m 30.994
16 Danilo Petrucci ITA Tech3 KTM Factory Racing KTM RC16 1m 31.045
17 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Esponsorama Ducati GP19 1m 31.073
18 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Esponsorama Ducati GP19 1m 31.185
19 Alex Marquez ESP LCR Honda Castrol Honda RC213V 1m 31.251
20 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM RC16 1m 31.319
21 Pol Espargaro ESP Repsol Honda Team Honda RC213V No Time

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