Bezzecchi takes pole at Misano for San Marino GP with record lap

Marco Bezzecchi claimed pole position at his home San Marino Grand Prix on Saturday at the Misano World Circuit, ripping in a record lap of 1m 30.134s to head a front row that will feature Alex Marquez and Fabio Quartararo. The pole sets the stage for a 13‑lap Sprint later on Saturday and a 27‑lap Grand Prix on Sunday as the paddock eyes both the on‑track battle and off‑track developments, including Yamaha's V4 prototype debut.

Bezzecchi, the Riminibased Aprilia rider, said he was delighted with the lap and credited his team and the fans, adding after qualifying, "Very happy about my performance. Also, the team obviously made a wonderful job and the bike was very good." Alex Marquez, who topped long runs in Barcelona last weekend and enters Misano buoyed by a victory there, said being on the front row was vital for the opening corners and he was "super happy" with the result.

The weekend built through a series of fast sessions. Franco Morbidelli set the early benchmark in Friday morning practice, but Marc Marquez overturned the order in the Friday afternoon session by posting a blistering 1m 30.480s. Marco Bezzecchi then led the final practice on Saturday morning with a 1m...