2023 British MotoGP Qualifying Report: Bezzecchi Takes Pole In The Wet Despite Late Crash

In a rain-soaked qualifying session at the MotoGP British Grand Prix, Marco Bezzecchi clinched pole position despite a late crash, while Fabio Quartararo faced a challenging time and will start the sprint and main race from the back of the grid.

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Bezzecchi, riding for VR46 Ducati, set the pole time with just over three minutes remaining in the wet Q2, clocking an impressive 2 minutes and 15.359 seconds. However, he encountered a crash at the Vale chicane during another flying lap. 

Despite the tumble, his pole-winning time remained unbeaten, with KTM's Jack Miller finishing 0.270 seconds behind, securing the second spot on the grid. Alex Marquez, who also experienced a crash but swiftly recovered, completed the front row. Q2 witnessed a flurry of falls as the wet conditions created challenges for the riders. Even the championship leader, Francesco Bagnaia, faced a tricky situation, but the factory Ducati rider managed to secure the fourth position.

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The qualifying session began with early drama as Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 British GP winner, failed to progress from Q1, resulting in his starting position at the back of the grid. An incident at the Vale chicane during the 15-minute session hindered his progress, and he couldn't close the significant seven-second gap to his Q1-leading Yamaha teammate, Franco Morbidelli. Marc Marquez also missed the opportunity to advance to Q2, finishing 14th on the grid after a valiant effort that fell short of securing a top-two position.

As Q2 commenced, KTM's Miller dominated the early pace, setting a stunning time of 2 minutes and 15.629 seconds, leading the pack by 1.5 seconds. Bagnaia managed to cut this lead to 0.466 seconds soon after but lost control of his Ducati at the Brooklands section, creating a tense moment. Alex Marquez was the next rider to challenge Miller, reducing the gap to 0.142 seconds. However, his Gresini Ducati's rear-end slid on the way into Abbey, leading to a brief scare.

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With just over three minutes left in Q2, Bezzecchi stole Miller's top spot with his incredible time of 2 minutes and 15.359 seconds. Though his subsequent flying lap ended abruptly with a crash at Vale, it didn't affect his pole position. The impressive qualifying performance also saw Augusto Fernandez achieve his best-ever MotoGP qualifying result, securing the fifth spot on the grid.

Starting Grid:

1. M. Bezzecchi
2. J. Miller
3. A. Marquez
4. F. Bagnaia
5. A. Fernandez
6. L. Marini
7. J. Martin
8. M. Vinales
9. J. Zarco
10. B. Binder
11. F. Morbidelli
12. A. Espargaro
13. E. Bastianini
14. M. Marquez
15. P. Espargaro
16. M. Oliveira
17. I. Lecuona
18. F. Di Giannantonio
19. J. Mir
20. R. Fernandez
21. T. Nakagami
22. F. Quartararo