Austrian GP: Bastianini snatches pole from Bagnaia

Beast on the prowl

As the clock ticked down, Bastianini, fondly known as the Beast in the paddock circles was on the prowl.

And sure enough, Bastianini was able to beat Bagnaia’s time by 0.024sec to claim his first premier class pole position to front a Ducati armada at the spearhead of the grid.

Pecco in the pack

For the first time since the Americas GP, Aleix Espargaro found himself in Q1 and with both Quartararo and Bagnaia looking in fine form, progression into Q2 was all that mattered.

And it was the title-chasing Spaniard who set the first couple of benchmarks, with younger brother Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) slotting into P2 just 0.045sec behind.

Miller in the mix

Miller slammed in the first benchmark – a 1:29.164 – but the pace was upped on the second flying laps. Espargaro went top with a 1:29.032 before Miller bounced back to set a 1:28.898, the fastest lap of the weekend so far.

Espargaro’s lap was then cancelled so the Spaniard dropped to P5 behind Bastianini, Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with Quartararo and Bagnaia P6 and P12 respectively – the latter yet to set a time after running wide at the new Turn 2 chicane.

Simply unmissable

Quartararo will start fifth as Di Giannantonio, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completed the Q2 running order in P10, P11 and P12 with just 0.7s covering the top 12.

With 0.4sec splitting polesitter Bastianini to 9th place Aleix Espargaro, and so much on the line, the Austrian MotoGP race which begins at 2pm local time (10.30pm IST) is simply unmissable! Indian audience can catch all the action live on Eurosport channels.