Francesco Bagnaia Sets Record, Takes Pole For Czech MotoGP; Marc Marquez Crashes

Last Updated:July 19, 2025, 16:19 IST

Francesco Bagnaia secured pole position for the Czech MotoGP, while Marc Marquez crashed but will start second. Bagnaia broke Marquez's 2016 Brno lap record.

Francesco Bagnaia at Czech MotoGP (X)

Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia secured pole position for the Czech MotoGP sprint and race on Saturday, as his teammate and championship leader Marc Marquez experienced a crash.

Bagnaia, riding a Ducati, faced qualifying one after a slow start in Brno but managed to regain his focus, achieving his first pole position of the season.

“Luckily I had this 15 minutes more in qualifying. Then I understood better the way to push in this track," he said.

“We just did a little adjustment that helped a lot," the 2022 and 2023 world champion added.

What Happened To Marc Marquez?

Marquez will start from the second spot, having lost control at turn 13 during the last qualifying lap—a setback for the Spaniard since split times indicated he would have easily surpassed Bagnaia.

He attributed his mistake to Frenchman Johann Zarco’s crash in the same sector moments earlier, which distracted him.

“When Zarco crashed, I saw some smoke and then my vision went a bit there and I went a bit wide and I just lost the front," said Marquez.

“But apart from that I’m happy with that second position."

Frenchman Fabio Quartararo on a Yamaha will complete the front row. Reigning world champion Jorge Martin will start from the fourth row following a series of injuries. Martin missed the first three races due to two pre-season crashes and, after returning in Qatar in April, crashed again, missing the next seven races.

Marc Marquez, who has claimed seven pole positions this season, leads the championship with 344 points after 11 of 22 races. His younger brother Alex is second with 261 points, and Bagnaia is third with 197.

Bagnaia shattered Marquez’s 2016 Brno lap record by over two seconds, clocking a time of 1min 52.303sec. Brno, returning to the MotoGP circuit after a five-year hiatus due to financial issues, has welcomed riders with a new, faster tarmac.

Marquez won the last four grand prix, taking both sprint and main race honours each time. He is aiming for his seventh MotoGP world title—and first since 2019—which would equal the legendary Valentino Rossi’s record.

(With inputs from AFP)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha...

Read More

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

Location :

Brno

First Published:

News sports » football Francesco Bagnaia Sets Record, Takes Pole For Czech MotoGP; Marc Marquez Crashes