Quartararo Claims Dutch GP Pole, Marquez Starts Second Row

Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha secured his fourth pole position of the season during qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday. Ducati's Marc Marquez, the current MotoGP championship leader, will begin the race from the second row.

Quartararo will share the front row with Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati and Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing. Marc Marquez qualified in fourth place at Assen, following two crashes during practice on Friday.

Heading into the sprint race, Marc Marquez holds a 40-point lead over his brother Alex. Bagnaia, currently third in the championship standings, trails by 110 points. Quartararo's impressive performance saw him clock a time of one minute and 30.651 seconds, earning him his 20th MotoGP pole position.

Quartararo expressed his aim to achieve a strong start and perform well in the sprint race. He also shared his fondness for the track, hoping to convert his pole position into a successful result on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Ducati bikes of the Marquez brothers and Bagnaia initially set the pace during the session. However, Quartararo set a benchmark with a time of one minute and 31.047 seconds. Alex and Marc Marquez then improved their times, but Quartararo and Bagnaia responded by taking the top two spots.

Marc Marquez, pushing for a faster lap, went off track on his final attempt, settling for fourth place. Alex Marquez was disappointed with his inability to improve his lap time.

Bagnaia, who has won at Assen for the past three years, expressed satisfaction with his bike's performance after a challenging start to the season. He aims to start well, maintain his pace, and potentially secure a victory.

Joining Marc Marquez on the second row will be Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia and Franco Morbidelli of VR46 Racing.