2022 MotoGP Americas GP: Qualifying results and starting grid

The Pramac ace - who same through Q1 - snatched the front spot from fellow Ducati rider Jack Miller, with Francesco Bagnaia in third.

The Italian manufacturer secured the top five spots in Q2, with Martin’s team-mate Johann Zarco in fourth and Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini in fifth.

Martin’s pole time of 2m02.039s was enough to break Marc Marquez’s pole lap record at the Circuit of the Americas, a 2m02.135s set in 2015.

A dramatic Q2 session saw reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo crash after sliding off his Yamaha at the penultimate corner while running in fourth place.

He was able to get back out on his second YZR-M1 for the final five minutes of the session, but settled for sixth on the only Yamaha inside the top 12 - 0.595s adrift of the pole time.

Suzuki’s Alex Rins was just 0.060s shy of a spot on the second row in seventh, with team-mate Joan Mir eighth after his final lap.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Seven-time COTA poleman Marquez failed to make any real impression on the pole battle on his return to action after two races on the sidelines due to vision problems.

The Honda rider will start from ninth – his worst-ever COTA qualifying result – ahead of LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami, the VR46 Ducati of Luca Marini and Pol Espargaro on the sister factory team Honda.

Argentina race winner Aleix Espargaro was caught up in traffic on one of his runs late on in Q1, with the Spaniard visibly frustrated as he backed off on that lap.

And on the following tour as he pushed to get into Q2, he crashed at Turn 6 and was resigned to 13th on the grid having taken pole just one week ago.

RNF’s Darryn Binder notched up his third crash of the weekend in Q1, leaving him last