Martin Secures Pole Position at Silverstone in Thrilling Qualifying

Jorge Martin claimed pole position in the Saturday qualifying session at Silverstone Circuit, England. On his Aprilia Racing RS‑GP26, he shattered Marco Bezzecchi’s 2026 all‑time lap record of 1:56.280, set on Friday, posting a new benchmark of 1:56.160 over the 3.67‑mile (5.90 km) circuit during Q2.

Raul Fernandez was the next fastest, clocking 1:56.181 on his SuperFILE Trackhouse Aprilia RS‑GP26, while teammate Ai Ogura secured the third spot on the front row with a 1:56.349.

The second‑row grid positions were filled by Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati) with 1:56.415, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) with 1:56.456, and Marc Márquez (Lenovo Ducati) with 1:56.527.

Press Release Summary:

Martin Denies Fernandez in Lap‑Record Pole Duel at Silverstone; Championship Leader Secures Pole by Just 0.021, Becoming the Eighth successive Silverstone Polesitter

Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) returned from the summer break with determination, posting a new lap record of 1:56.160 to edge out Raul Fernandez by a mere 0.021 seconds. His performance secured the front‑row for the SuperFILE Trackhouse MotoGP squad, with teammate Ai Ogura taking third place.

The championship’s top six mirror the front six on the grid, albeit in a different order aside from the pole position. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will start fourth, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) fifth, and Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) sixth. This promising lineup faces a challenging grid against some of the sport’s biggest contenders.

Here’s how it unfolded.

Q1: RIGHT TO THE WIRE

Q1 featured a star‑studded lineup, including four former Silverstone winners — Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The session also attracted several other fast riders hoping to become the 12th different winner in as many editions.

After the opening runs, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) led Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) in the battle for advancement, but substitute Iker Lecuona (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) delivered a spectacular final lap to claim second. On the very last lap, Quartararo produced a strong opening sector, but despite a fierce effort he fell just 0.050 seconds short of Lecuona’s time.

Morbidelli and Lecuona progressed to Q2, while Quartararo slipped to P13 on the grid.

Q2: LAP RECORD SHOOTOUT AT THE TOP

Initially, Marc Márquez briefly led, edging out Alex Márquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). In the closing minutes, a flurry of rapid sector times emerged. Bezzecchi briefly topped the charts, narrowly missing his Friday lap record, before Raul Fernandez unleashed a spectacular run, setting a new 1:56.181 lap record. Shortly after, Ai Ogura surged to second, and Diggia followed with a strong third‑place effort.

With one final flying lap remaining, Martin produced a perfect run, maintaining a red sector throughout. His 1:56.160 secured the pole, edging out Fernandez by 0.021 seconds and completing an all‑Aprilia front row alongside Ogura.

Bezzecchi, who incurred damage to the rear of his machine during the session, ended up fifth, while Diggia remained the sole non‑Aprilia rider to break into the top positions.

THE GRID

The championship’s top six occupy the first two rows, with two‑time Silverstone Sprint victor Alex Márquez leading Row 3 at P7. Morbidelli, promoted from Q1, occupies the middle of that row, followed by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), a marquee name eager to make an impact from the start.

Lecuona secured a respectable P10, while Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) topped the Yamaha contingent in P11 after automatic advancement from Friday’s Q2. Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), also promoted from Friday’s top‑10, claimed P12.

Quartararo and Moreira occupy P13 and P14, the first riders from Q1 who failed to advance. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) moves to P15, ahead of 2022 Silverstone winner Bagnaia, who aims for a strong start. He precedes Rins and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), while Bastianini ends up in P19, just 0.020 seconds behind home‑hero Cal Crutchlow (Castrol Honda LCR), who continues to impress in place of Johann Zarco despite being several years removed from full‑time competition.

Pol Espargaró, filling in for Maverick Viñales at Red Bull KTM Tech3 as the #12, sits just behind Crutchlow. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) follows, tackling a circuit new to him since his Rookies Cup days. Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez (Yamaha Factory Racing) rounds out the grid with a wildcard entry.

Ready for the Qatar Airways British Grand Prix? The Tissot Sprint will commence at 16:00 BST (UTC+1), with the main race scheduled for Sunday at 13:00.

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