Alex Marquez clinched his first pole position of the season by setting a 1:56.493 flying lap, edging Marc Marquez by 0.070 seconds, with Pedro Acosta completing the front row. The grid was further impacted by the withdrawal of 2024 champion Jorge Martin, who struggled to control his Aprilia under braking due to an existing wrist fracture. While Aprilia secured fourth and fifth through Ai Ogura and Marco Bezzecchi, Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia suffered an emotional and disrupted Q2 after running wide at Turn One.
Key points
Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez secured a rare career pole position and his first of the cu…: Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez secured a rare career pole position and his first of the current campaign.
Aprilia and medical staff prioritized Jorge Martin's long-term health by withdrawing him…: Aprilia and medical staff prioritized Jorge Martin's long-term health by withdrawing him to prepare for the Doha GP.
Frustration mounted for Ducati as Francesco Bagnaia endured a mistake-filled Q2 after fig…: Frustration mounted for Ducati as Francesco Bagnaia endured a mistake-filled Q2 after fighting his way out of Q1.
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SEPANG, Malaysia, Oct 31 : Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez stormed to a thrilling pole position at the Malaysian MotoGP on Saturday as 2024 champion Jorge Martin withdrew from the race weekend to continue his recovery from a wrist fracture.
Alex snatched pole away from elder brother and reigning champion Marc Marquez with his final flying lap at the Sepang International Circuit, denying the Ducati rider after he appeared set to claim top spot in the closing moments of Q2.
The pole was only the third of Alex's MotoGP career and his first of the season.
"I wasn't expecting to make that lap time, honestly speaking, but already the first time attack was really good for me," Alex said.
"It was already in the 1:56s, so much better than I was expecting ... I couldn't believe it. I put everything together. Everything was working really well on the bike."
Martin, who cut short Friday's practice to aid his recovery from the injury suffered in a sprint-race crash at Phillip Island last weekend, briefly took part in Saturday morning's practice session.
Stewards escalated standard warnings to sporting penalties after team managers failed to heed prior cautions regarding practice-session driving conduct. The collision involving drivers contracted under the wider Red Bull organization disrupted the session and resulted in mutual penalties alongside added penalty points. Both competitors now face compromised starting positions as track cleanup halted valuable running in Mexico.
The legal victory for the Triangle Land Conservancy upholds a 1995 conservation easement covering 187 acres in Orange County, legally preserving its agricultural and scenic character in perpetuity. Superior Court Judge John Morris decided the case through a summary judgment, entirely averting a scheduled November jury trial over commercial development on the site. Union Grove Farm owner Greg Bohlen now faces a strict 30-day window to file an appeal with the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Dinesh Karthik has urged Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team management to consider benching Abhishek Sharma rather than moving Sanju Samson out of the side for the fifth T20I against New Zealand. Samson previously shifted down the batting order to allow teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to play in the third match. With the series already decided, selection discussions are focused on balancing fairness to established contributors with the urge to test young talent.