DOHA: Italian Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati grabbed the first pole position of the new MotoGP season in Qatar on Saturday after edging Frenchman Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha in qualifying.
Another Yamaha rider, Spaniard Maverick Vinales completed the front row after nudging out seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi — in his 26th Grand Prix season — of Yamaha satellite team SRT, late in the session.
Australian Jack Miller (Ducati) and Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) will also start from the second row.
Bagnaia, the 2018 Moto2 champion before stepping up to the elite class the following year, claimed his maiden pole in a track record of 1 minute 52.772 seconds.
“(It’s the) best way to start my career with a new team. I can be happy about the…
