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Marco Bezzecchi secures shock pole at Grand Prix Austria, Marc Marquez fourth quickest
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Published 16/08/2025 at 12:14 GMT+1
Marco Bezzecchi was 18th quickest in practice on Friday at Grand Prix Austria, with observers tipping other riders to be quickest at Saturday's qualifying session. However, the Aprilia rider pulled off a shock when he emerged as the quickest on the day, giving him pole position for Saturday's Sprint and Sunday's full-length race, both shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
'They've worked so hard' - Hodgson thrilled with Bezzecchi's shock Grand Prix Austria pole
Video credit: TNT Sports
Marco Bezzecchi claimed a surprise pole position on Saturday morning at Grand Prix Austria.
The Aprilia rider will now start in first place on the grid for the day’s Sprint, as well as Sunday’s full-length race. It is the first pole that Bezzecchi has recorded for the Italian team.
With Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta the two fastest riders in the practice sessions, it was a surprise that neither of them challenged to be quickest in qualifying.
Ducati Lenovo rider Marquez was targeting his eighth pole of the season, but could only manage fourth spot, meaning he will start both races on the second row, while Acosta (Red Bull KTM) was down in seventh on row three.
Second quickest of the session was BK8 Gresini rider Alex Marquez, while Francesco Bagnaia - who had been tipped by his team-mate as a dark horse for the weekend - was third.
Former world champion Bagnaia has won the last three Grands Prix in Austria, as well as the two Sprints that were held in that same period at the Red Bull Ring, so his good performance comes as little surprise ahead of both races, shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM) and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini) were fifth and sixth, respectively. Franco Morbidelli (VR46) was eighth, and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse) completed the third row in ninth place.
Ducati’s Marquez leads the world championship by 120 points, ahead of his younger brother Alex in second, while Bagnaia now has the chance to reduce the 168 points between himself and his team-mate.
'I'm so pleased for him' - Hodgson praises Aprilia efforts
TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson was delighted for Aprilia and Bezzecchi, remarking that they had been way down in 18th on Friday, and had turned it around with a huge effort.
He said: "I'm so pleased for him. Was he 18th yesterday? Yeah. 18th and he was down in the dumps, but they've worked so hard in that factory Aprilia team."
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'He tried to save it' - Acosta crashes in Free Practice 2 at Grand Prix Austria
Video credit: TNT Sports
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