Bagnaia Shatters Lap Record to Clinch Malaysian GP Pole

Francesco Bagnaia claimed pole position at the Malaysian GP with a record-breaking lap. Outpacing Jorge Martin and Alex Marquez, Bagnaia's 1:56.337 set the stage. Teammate Enea Bastianini crashed, while Franco Morbidelli led the second row. Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo impressed with strong qualifying performances.

Francesco Bagnaia earned pole position at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, breaking the previous lap record with a time of 1:56.337. The Italian rider's flawless execution gave him a 0.216-second lead over title rival Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing MotoGP secured the third spot on the front row, finishing 0.938 seconds behind Bagnaia.

During FP2, teams and riders had a final chance to optimize their setups, with Bagnaia again topping the timesheets. The qualifying stage saw Marco Bezzecchi of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team starting Q1 with a strong pace. As Q2 began, Martin set an early record, but Bagnaia outperformed him with an impressive 1:56.337 lap despite teammate Enea Bastianini's crash in the final moments.

Franco Morbidelli of Prima Pramac Racing will lead the second row, with Marc Marquez and Bastianini alongside him. Jack Miller of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will start seventh, ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP's Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins. In the middle of the pack, rookie Pedro Acosta will start 13th, narrowly missing Q2. Andrea Iannone, making a notable return, will start 17th.

(With inputs from agencies.)