KTM rider Pedro Acosta will start MotoGP’s Catalan Grand Prix from pole position after dominating Saturday’s qualifying.
The Spaniard started the Barcelona weekend by topping Friday practice and carried that momentum into qualifying, where he took the spot by almost a quarter of a second.
Franco Morbidelli came from Q1 to qualify his VR46 Ducati in second place in front of team boss Valentino Rossi – a marked return to form for the Italian rider who has struggled for speed so far in 2026.
Gresini rider Alex Marquez, who is the reigning Catalan GP winner, will take the start from third place after winning Saturday’s sprint race.
Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez will be the top Aprilia rider on the grid in fourth, while LCR’s Johann Zarco will lead Honda’s charge in fifth.
Aprilia could be in for a difficult Sunday after both its riders crashed heavy in qualifying. Jorge Martin, who had already suffered a concussion in practice, went down again in Q1 and could only qualify ninth.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi fell late into the session and could not mount on his second bike, leaving him 12th on the grid.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia kept his bike upright but could not even progress to Q2, and will start 13th.
Bagnaia’s team-mate Marc Marquez will be absent from the Barcelona race after undergoing a double surgery in the wake of his accident in the French GP sprint.
However, the grid will still feature 22 riders, with Tech3’s Maverick Vinales back in action after an injury layoff and Yamaha fielding its test rider Augusto Fernandez as a wildcard.
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