Bezzecchi had the lap record, Marquez had the race
Marco Bezzecchi put an Aprilia on pole at Misano with a lap nobody had ever managed here. A few hours later he finished second. Marc Marquez won the San Marino sprint by 1.068 seconds and the pole counted for nothing.
Thirteen laps, and the order at the front settled early. Bezzecchi stayed within reach without ever getting close enough to try something. Jorge Martin brought the second Aprilia home third, 3.538 behind, on an afternoon when Ducati still filled three of the top five places.
The qualifying lap deserves its own mention. Bezzecchi went round in 1:29.982, the first time anyone has been under 1’30 at this circuit, and the record he erased belonged to Francesco Bagnaia. Misano sits a short ride from Rimini, where Bezzecchi grew up, and Aprilia build their machines in Italy too. The grandstands had picked a side. It made no difference once the lights went out.
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Di Giannantonio fourth, Bagnaia nowhere
Fabio Di Giannantonio took fourth, four tenths off Martin, close enough to have inherited a podium had the Aprilia stumbled. Alex Marquez came home fifth, 4.348 back, which kept the Ducati count high even with the brand beaten to two podium steps.
Pedro Acosta was the leading KTM in sixth, ahead of Raul Fernandez on the third Aprilia. Fermin Aldeguer took eighth and Luca Marini claimed the last point in ninth on the Honda. Johann Zarco missed out by a single place.
Bagnaia’s weekend did not improve. Knocked out in Q1 in the morning, he started outside the top 12 and got no further than 13th, 17.763 behind a rider on identical machinery. Fabio Quartararo was last of the 21 finishers, almost 25 seconds down.
What a Saturday is worth
Twelve points for Marquez, nine for Bezzecchi, seven for Martin. A sprint pays half of what Sunday pays, which is the whole reason the paddock keeps arguing about whether 13-lap races belong on the calendar at all.
Bezzecchi keeps pole for the grand prix over full distance. He has the fastest lap anyone has ridden here and a clear view of his problem: Marquez did not need the front row.
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