Italy's Marco Bezzecchi blazed a trail to pole position at the Indian MotoGP in the sweltering heat of the Buddh International Circuit on Saturday.
Riding a Ducati VR46, Bezzecchi clocked an impressive time of 1 minute and 43.947 seconds during the second qualifying session, securing the coveted top spot. Joining him on the front row are Jorge Martin and reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who claimed the second and third positions, respectively.
However, the day took a painful turn for Alex Marquez, currently ninth in the standings, as he crashed his Ducati-Gresini during the first qualifying session, resulting in fractured ribs. Marquez, the younger sibling of six-time world champion Marc Marquez, received medical attention before being transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The team announced his unfitness for the race, confirming a double-rib fracture on his left side.
Bezzecchi's pole-winning performance unfolded in the midst of scorching conditions, prompting race organisers to trim Sunday's race from 24 to 21 laps due to the extreme heat. Speaking about his achievement, Bezzecchi said, "It was tough, but I felt better on the bike this morning. I'm very happy with this pole position. It's important to start the sprint and tomorrow's race from the pole."
Bezzecchi, currently 65 points behind championship leader Bagnaia, remains a strong contender for the 2023 title. Jorge Martin, who triumphed in the previous race at Misano and sits second in the standings, only 36 points adrift of Bagnaia, secured the second position on the grid, trailing Bezzecchi's time by a mere 0.043 seconds, riding for Pramac-Ducati. He expressed his satisfaction, saying, "Back-to-back first rows, happy to be doing that. Happy to be here."
To combat the challenging weather conditions, the sprint race on Saturday was shortened to 11 laps instead of the usual 12, following complaints from riders about the intense heat, which is expected to persist on Sunday.
Francesco Bagnaia, piloting a factory Ducati, aimed to accelerate in the final laps but ultimately settled for a front-row position as he sought to extend his championship lead. Luca Marini secured the fourth position in the qualifying session, following his impressive performance during the second practice on Friday. Honda riders Joan Mir and Marc Marquez, both hailing from Spain, rounded out the second row in fifth and sixth positions, respectively.
