Catalunya MotoGP Qualifying Results | Espargaro tastes sweet home town pole

Aleix Espargaro secures a superb pole positon for his home town Catalunya MotoGP as he smashes the lap record for a second time on the Aprilia

Aleix Espargaro - Aprilia

Aleix Espargaro lived up to his billing in qualifying for the Catalunya MotoGP as he took a popular hometown pole position at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Round 9 of the 2022 MotoGP season.

In the year that has seen the experienced Espargaro enjoy a breakthrough 13th MotoGP season on the competitive Aprilia, the Spaniard - who grew in the town of Granollers, fewer than five miles from the circuit - particularly covets success in this race.

Having built up to qualifying with a new lap benchmark in FP3, it would take another record-breaker in the all-important grid deciding session to fend off a strong challenge from Pecco Bagnaia.

Indeed, though the Italian was up on his rival coming into Sector 4, he’d end the lap 0.031secs short of a third pole position in four races.

On an afternoon of mixed fortunes for the title contenders, Fabio Quartararo - who leads Espargaro by eight points in the standings - gets underway from third position on the Yamaha. Enea Bastianini, however, failed to progress past Q1 and will start 14th.

A strong final effort from Johann Zarco lifted him to the front of the second row in fourth position, while surprise Mugello pole winner Fabio di Giannantonio continued his impressive single lap momentum with fifth on the grid. Jorge Martin completed an all-Ducati second row in sixth.

Alex Rins brought some satisfaction to Suzuki with a solid run to seventh, ahead of Espargaro’s Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales and Mugello front row starter Luca Marini.

Pol Espargaro, Jack Miller and Takaaki Nakagami completed the top twelve positions, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi and Bastianini, the latter two the best of the riders who didn’t make it through to Q2.

Elsewhere, KTM’s challenge is headed up by Brad Binder in 15th, followed by team-mate and 2021 Catalunya MotoGP winner Miguel Oliveira.

2022 Catalunya MotoGP | Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya | Qualifying Results | Round 9 / 21
PosRiderNat.MotoGP TeamMotoGP BikeTiming
1Aleix EspargaroESPAprilia Racing Aprilia RS-GP1m 38.742
2Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo TeamDucati GP221m 38.773
3Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Energy Yamaha Yamaha YZF-M11m 38.959
4Johann ZarcoFRAPramac RacingDucati GP221m 39.027
5Fabio di GiannantonioITAGresini RacingDucati GP211m 39.099
6Jorge MartinESPPramac RacingDucati GP221m 39.142
7Alex RinsESPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1m 39.145
8Maverick VinalesESPAprilia Racing Aprilia RS-GP1m 39.397
9Luca MariniITAVR46 RacingDucati GP211m 39.451
10Pol EspargaroESPRepsol Honda TeamHonda RC213V1m 39.477
11Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo TeamDucati GP221m 39.523
12Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda Honda RC213V1m 39.611
13Marco BezzecchiITAVR46 RacingDucati GP211m 39.240
14Enea BastianiniITAGresini RacingDucati GP211m 39.246
15Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM RacingKTM RC161m 39.249
16Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM RacingKTM RC161m 39.420
17Joan MirESPTeam Suzuki EcstarSuzuki GSX-RR1m 39.664
18Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Energy Yamaha Yamaha YZF-M11m 39.884
19Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU RNF Racing YamahaYamaha YZF-M11m 39.664
20Remy GardnerAUSTech3 KTM RacingKTM RC161m 40.071
21Stefan BradlGERRepsol Honda TeamHonda RC213V1m 40.113
22Michele PirroITAAruba .it RacingDucati GP221m 40.298
23Darryn BinderRSAWithU RNF Racing YamahaYamaha YZF-M11m 40.373
24Raul FernandezESPTech3 KTM RacingKTM RC161m 40.587
25Alex MarquezESPLCR Honda Honda RC213VNo Time