Mar 30, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Marc Marquez (93) of Spain and Ducati Lenovo Team looks on before the start of the 2025 Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
(Reuters) -Ducati's Marc Marquez preserved his perfect qualifying record in the 2025 MotoGP season when he clinched a fourth straight pole position with an all-time lap record at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday.
Marquez, who also took pole in Thailand, Argentina and the United States, had set the fastest time early in the second qualifying session (Q2) before Fabio Quartararo briefly took pole for Yamaha.
Quartararo's elation lasted just a few seconds, however, when championship leader Alex Marquez of Gresini Racing snatched top spot from the Frenchman.
But both riders could only watch as Marc Marquez went faster right at the end of the session to clock one minute and 50.499 seconds at the Lusail International Circuit.
"On the first tyre Alex was super fast. He was riding in a very good way," said Marc, who is one point behind his younger brother in the championship.
"That last lap was not a clean lap but enough to be on a pole position. Unexpected pole position here in Qatar, honestly speaking."
VR46 Racing's Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio will start on the second row alongside Red Bull KTM's Maverick Vinales.
Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia, who is third in the championship, crashed during Q2 when he lost control at turn four and the Italian will start 11th on the grid.
Defending champion Jorge Martin also made his return to the track for the first time this season after recovering from fractures sustained in a pre-season testing crash.
But the Aprilia rider, who said Friday's practice felt like "the first day of school", could not qualify for Q2 and he will start from 14th on the grid.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
