Bagnaia breaks lap record to take pole in Aragon MotoGP, Binder 10th on grid

Francesco Bagnaia set a Motorland lap record on Saturday as he topped qualifying for the Aragon Grand Prix and grabbed his fifth pole position of the MotoGP season.

The Italian, who has won the last four races to surge up the rider standings, took pole with a lap of 1min 46.069sec to lead a Ducati sweep of the front row.

Australian Jack Miller, on the other factory bike, was second at 0.09sec with Italian Enea Bastianini on a Gresini-Ducati third at 0.154sec.

Bagnaia is 30 points behind leader and reigning champion Fabio Quartararo.

The Frenchman squeezed onto the second row on his Yamaha, just 0.05sec faster than Italian Marco Bezzecchi on a Ducati VR46

Spaniard Aleix Espargaro, who rides an Aprilia and is third in the championship three points behind Bagnaia, and Frenchman Johann Zarco on a Pramac-Ducati are just ahead of Quartararo on the second row.

Bagnaia broke the course lap record of 1:46.322 he set in qualifying last year, when he went on to win from pole.

"This is my best lap time ever," he said. "I never did a lap time like this. So I'm so perfect like this, I am very, very happy. Tomorrow we have to finish the job."

Six-time world champion Marc Marquez, racing for the first time this season after a fourth surgery on his right arm, was 12th fastest in practice and had to ride in the first qualifying session where all but the top 10 battle for the last two places in Q2 and a chance to take pole. He was third fastest, just 0.066sec off second and will start from 13th.

Sprint races

Qualifying took place in front of a sparse crowd on a day when MotoGP organisers Dorna announced that next season there would effectively be two races each weekend with sprint races on Saturdays.

Riders will gain half the points for racing