MotoGP French GP: Bagnaia leads Ducati 1-2 to claim second pole

The early stages of the Q2 qualifying session teed up a pole battle between Bagnaia and Quartararo, but the former would streak clear of the Yamaha rider to claim back-to-back poles in 2022.

Ducati’s Bagnaia set the initial benchmark at 1m30.910s, leading Quartararo by 0.300 seconds, before the Italian improved that to a 1m30.699s.

Quartararo then produced a 1m30.688s with just under 10 minutes of the 15-minute shootout to go, putting him ahead of Bagnaia by just 0.011s.

Both riders lit up the timing screens across their second runs, but Bagnaia clicked into supreme form to regain top spot with two minutes remaining with a 1m30.450s.

Team-mate Jack Miller shadowed him to move into second, the Australian missing out on pole by 0.069s.

Quartararo was quick as he started his final lap, but bled time across the rest of the tour and could do nothing to better his earlier 1m30.688s.

With Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro moving up to third for a third-straight front row, Quartararo found himself relegated to the head of row two in fourth on his homecoming as world champion and the current standings leader.

Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini completed the top five, having made several pushes for pole, with the other home favourite Johann Zarco sixth on his Pramac Ducati.

Zarco headed the FP3 times but slid back to sixth in Q2

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The Frenchman, who topped FP3, may be dragged up to the stewards after Q2 after getting in Pol Espargaro’s way at the Dunlop chicane while the Honda rider was on a push lap late on.

Joan Mir came through Q1 to out-qualify Suzuki team-mate Alex Rins, with Q1 pacesetter Jorge Martin ninth on the Pramac Ducati.

Marc Marquez made a mistake on his final lap into the Dunlop