Half the grid crash in dramatic Brazil MotoGP qualifying session
Updated: 02:25, 22 Mar
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Andrew McLarneyMotoGP Reporter
Andrew McLarney is a MotoGP reporter for GPBlog. With four years experience as a professional writer across the sports and video game industries, his experience as a K1 Premier League competitor evolved into a fascination with all forms of combat sport and eventually motorsport — with MotoGP becoming his primary focus. On top of that he is also an avid follower of MXGP and AMA Supercross as well as F1 and GT racing.
It was a difficult qualifying session for the MotoGP riders at the Ayrton Senna Autodrome in Goiania, Brazil, with many victims including Marc Marquez falling in the tricky conditions.
Marquez was just one of several riders, including Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta who crashed in the Q2 session, but he still managed to recover to secure a position on the front row.
The risk of crashes over the weekend was dramatically increased earlier in the week when heavy rains and flooding struck the circuit, and despite the best efforts of organisers to clear the standing water, the tarmac is still suffering from 'weeping' puddles which are leaking water upwards from the earth beneath.
Fabio Di Giannantonio managed to secure the pole position, his first since 2022, but even he slid out and crashed towards the end of the session, leaving very few survivors by the time the checquered flag dropped.
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Turn 4 was the area which caught out the most riders and, despite appearing visually dry, caused several riders to slip near the apex of the corner.
No riders were injured and all will compete in the sprint race this afternoon, including the heroic Fermin Aldeguer, who is performing very well on his return from a very worrying pre-season leg break.
Diggia tops crash-filled MotoGP qualifying session ahead of Marquez and Bezzecchi
Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed a memorable pole position at the Ayrton Senna Autodrome in Brazil, beating Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi by less then a tenth of a second.
Much like Diggia, Marco Bezzecchi managed to rescue himself from Q1 after finishing yesterday's timed practice in 20th, and put it on the front row.
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