Jorge Martin grabs Qatar pole with Marquez also on front row

Tribune News Network Doha Qualifying specialist Jorge Martin grabbed pole position for the MotoGP season opener as he posted the fastest time in the final ...

Tribune News NetworkDohaQualifying specialist Jorge Martin grabbed pole position for the MotoGP season opener as he posted the fastest time in the final session on a thrilling day at the Losail International Circuit on Saturday. The Spaniard, on a Pramac Ducati, was joined on the front row by Italian Enea Bastianini for Gresini, which has switched to Ducati bikes this season, and six-times world champion Marc Marquez of Honda.The 24-year-old Martin took four pole positions last year in his rookie MotoGP season. And this was his second in Qatar.“I feel good always to be on pole position,” he said. “But I am not 100 per cent happy because I lack a bit of race pace.”Bastianini pushed his way onto the front row for the first time at this level with a lap that finished after the qualifying time had elapsed.Reigning championFrenchman Fabio Quartararo was only 11th on his Yamaha.Martin unleashed his potential after his comeback as he claimed the Styrian GP to become only the third rider in the modern 1000cc era to win a race in his rookie season, after Marquez in 2013, and Brad Binder in 2020. Martin concurred with the popular opinion in the paddock as he labelled Suzuki as pre-race favourites. Heading into qualifying as the first and third quickest riders on combined times, Alex Rins and Joan Mir had a very disappointing Q2 as they finished eighth and tenth respectively.Martin felt Suzuki’s sub-par qualifying performance won’t matter much on the race day. “I bet on Rins and Mir because I feel they are the strongest ones. I hope to be there and fight with them. Here we are saying all the same; I think Suzuki has been very strong. They have more power for sure,” he noted. Marquez threw the gauntlet down as the factory Honda rider set a 1m53.566 secs on his opening lap, as he ducked out of Mir’s slipstream on the straight to take over top spot.Racing with a hybrid 2021/2022 engine, Ducati’s Jack Miller edged ahead of Marquez but the latter set the fastest time again after Francesco Bagnaia. Martin, who was under Marquez’ time through the first three sectors of his penultimate lap, got a perfect slipstream from Pol Espargaro to eventually set a 1:53.011s - three tenths quicker.There was a late scare for Martin as Enea Bastianini looked set to beat his time, however, without a slipstream to aid him, the Gresini rider had to settle for second - his best qualifying result in MotoGP.Behind the front row of Martin, Bastianini and Marquez will be Miller and both Espargaro brothers - Aleix ahead of Pol.Marquez, who missed the start of last season still rehabbing a badly broken right arm and sat out the end of the campaign with double vision after a crash, said he ‘can fight’ for victory in today’s race but doesn’t feel he has the pace ‘for winning.’“For me, the most important thing was FP4, where I ride alone, I had a consistent pace, and the lap time was coming in a good way. So, let’s see tomorrow. It’s true that we need to manage many factors; it’s the first race, the tyres, fuel, the track, all these things. But the butterflies in the stomach will be there, so let’s see how we can manage,” the 29-year-old said.“This morning I was still too far from the top guys, but this afternoon I was very close. This is enough for me and I’m happy with that pace because it’s true that I’m not the fastest guy out there but I can fight for top positions – not for winning. It depends on the conditions because, for example, Suzuki was fast all weekend and tonight struggled a lot, but tomorrow will be different. My main challenge is to understand 22 laps in a row. I feel OK, I don’t feel pain, so this is something that makes me happy,” he added.Meanwhile, Quartararo said he was ‘not super angry’ after qualifying a disappointing 11th, one row behind his closest rival last season Italian Bagnaia, who is in ninth place. The defending champion only sneaked into the final session after being forced into the first qualifying and finishing second fastest to grab the last place in the 12-rider shootout for pole position.“Well, to be honest I feel great on the bike. I just put myself on the limit, but I’m not an engineer. I give my 100% every time I go on track and today, tomorrow and until the end of the season. But it was tough,” Quartararo said.“I’m just a rider that is on the bike, I push myself 100%. Coming into Qatar I expected much better, but like always on the pace I’m fast. But looking at the practice, qualifying practice, I’m not super angry because I know I did my best and I could not do much better. So, to be honest I don’t know what to say,” he added.Ducati’s Jack Miller starts fourth on the grid while his team mate Bagnaia, last year’s championship runner-up, is ninth as they try to find the right setup for the new GP 22 bike.Miller is joined on the second row by Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia and the Honda of Pol Espargaro in sixth while Brad Binder on the KTM is seventh, just ahead of 2020 champion Mir on his Suzuki.MotoGP great Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Racing Team made its premier class debut with Luca Marini in 17th, while his team mate and veteran Andrea Dovizioso starts 20th on the grid.In Moto2 and Moto3, the first poles of the season went to Italy’s Celestino Vietti (Kalex) and Spain’s Izan Guevara (GASGAS). The Grand Prix of Qatar is the first of a record 21-race season climaxing in Valencia, Spain, on November 6.