Ducati back on top in Qualifying
Dry conditions greeted the field on day 2 of the Brazilian MotoGP at The Autodromo Internacional de Goiania-Ayrton Senna. But wet patches and ‘weeping’ water through the joins of the newly laid tarmac made conditions potentially more treacherous than they had faced the previous day. Despite this, we were treated to some heroic efforts from unexpected quarters, with nine riders experiencing the gravel during the day, most of them on the entry to the fast right at turn 4.
Conditions were better than expected for FP2 in the morning and it represented the first opportunity for the riders to experience this new track on full slick tyres. Ai Ogura put his Trackhouse Aprilia at the top of the standings in the practice session, in front of Marc Marquez and the resurgent Jorge Martin.
Marco Bezzechi was amongst the few unexpected participants in Q1, but he eased through on his Aprilia, topping the list as expected. There was a battle behind to join him in Q2, with Diogo Moreira looking capable along with Honda’s Joan Mir. However, it was the VR46 Ducati of Fabio DiGiannatonio who eventually secured the place.
Perhaps the most unexpected statistic to arise from the Q1 session was the fact that this was the eleventh track session for the MotoGP bikes so far this season, but the first one that had finished with a Ducati on top. Apart from Yamaha, all the other manufacturers had topped at least one session.
There can often be an advantage in qualifying through Q1, particularly where the teams have limited data, and this proved to be evident in the Q2 session that followed. DiGianantonio and Bezzechi were immediately on the pace and finished the session in the top two spots respectively, with the Roman VR46 rider claiming only his second pole position.
Unsurprisingly, Marc Marquez joined them on the front row but only fractionally ahead of Fabio Quartararo, who surprised everybody with a blistering effort on the struggling V4 Yamaha. Equally heroic was the 7th pace finish of Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer, who prior to this GP had not ridden his Ducati in anger since the last race in Valencia in 2025. His broken femur still not fully repaired as he had to walk to his bike still using a crutch.
