Qatar GP. Stunning pole position and new all-time lap record for Pecco Bagnaia. Fifth time for Jack Miller

• Bagnaia takes his maiden pole position in MotoGP and signs the new all-time lap record at Losail Circuit in 1:52.772. Miller closes qualifying for the Qatar GP in fifth place.
• Johann Zarco hits 364.2km/h with the Pramac Racing Team's Ducati Desmosedici, a new all-time MotoGP top speed record.

It was a great Saturday of Qualifying for the Qatar GP, the first round of the 2021 MotoGP season, scheduled for tomorrow at the Losail International Circuit in the outskirts of Doha for Ducati.

After finishing FP3 in second place, Francesco Bagnaia took a stunning pole position in his second outing in Q2, signing a new all-time lap record with a fastest lap in 1:52.772. For the Ducati Lenovo Team rider, this is his maiden career pole position in MotoGP since his debut in the premier class in 2019. Teammate Jack Miller, who had topped the combined timesheets after the first three sessions, will start from the second row instead tomorrow with the fifth fastest time (1:53.215).

Completing the Borgo Panigale manufacturer's excellent day, Pramac Racing Team rider Johann Zarco achieved another historic milestone with his Ducati Desmosedici in tonight's FP4. On the long straight of the Losail International Circuit, the Frenchman hit 364.2 km/h, a new all-time MotoGP top speed record. He will start from the second row of the grid, with the sixth fastest time alongside Jack Miller.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 1:52.772 (1st)
"I feel comfortable with the Desmosedici GP, and I'm pleased with the work we were able to do today. Starting on pole position in tomorrow's race is a great way to begin this new chapter of my career with the Ducati Lenovo Team. However, I'm not particularly satisfied with the result obtained in the FP4 session, but I think that's entirely due to a wrong tire choice. I'm sure that we will be strong and fast tomorrow in the race. It will be crucial to have a consistent pace from start to finish".

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 1.53.215 (5th)
"I'm pretty happy with my performance in qualifying: I went under the previous circuit record again, and I'll start from the second row with the fifth fastest time. Unfortunately, in my second outing with the soft tyres, I took some risks and made a few mistakes. We'll see what the track conditions will be like in the race: the forecast says it will be a lot windier, and the presence of sand on the track will mean faster tyre wear. In any case, I feel I'm ready, and I'm looking forward to the first GP of the season". 

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back on track tomorrow, 28th March, at 3:40 pm local time (CET +1.00) for the warm-up ahead of the first Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP season scheduled for 8:00 pm local time on a 22-lap distance.