“What can I say?”: Crash to front row for Marco Bezzecchi
“I didn't imagine the first row.”
Marco Bezzecchi was lying on the ground, in seventh place, with just minutes to go in MotoGP qualifying at Mandalika.
But the VR46 rider, just 19th fastest during final practice, then staged a remarkable recovery.
With the aid of marshals, Bezzecchi restarted his GP23 in time for a last flying lap, where he knocked over 0.3s from his best time to snatch second on the grid behind title leader Jorge Martin.
“I was making a very good second run with the second tyre, but I met a lot of yellow flags,” Bezzecchi explained.
“So before the last lap I wanted to slow down a bit in the last sector and then take the speed for the last flying lap. But I lost a bit of concentration and I crashed.
“Fortunately, the bike was OK and the marshals helped me to start the bike.
“I started my last lap immediately after the crash. I knew I could be fast, but I didn't imagine the first row.
“So what can I say? I'm very happy.”
Bezzecchi will be chasing his first Sprint podium of the season in this afternoon’s 13 lap race.
Team-mate Fabio di Giannantonio was the next-best GP23 rider, in eighth, with Gresini’s Marc Marquez failing to set a lap time after crashing twice.
Meanwhile, Martin disappeared to a 0.535s pole position advantage.
"I'm so happy. Today I felt great. I've been riding with a lot of used tyres so I was expecting a big step for qualifying but maybe not that much!" said the Pramac Ducati rider.
"The first run went perfectly. So this is always nice because then I could change the strategy."
Martin will start the Sprint with a 24-point lead over reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who qualified just ahead of Emilia Romagna winner Bastianini in fourth place.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
