At home in front of tens of thousands of tifosi, the provisional leader of the championship, although diminished by a foot injury contracted in a fall during the last race at Le Mans, overtook the six-time Spanish world champion Marc Marquez (Honda), who took his wheel in the fast lap but without being able to take full advantage of this advantage.
+Pecco+ also shattered the Mugello lap record by improving Quartararo's 2021 time by more than three tenths.
Spaniard Alex Marquez (Ducati-Gresini) and Australian Jack Miller (KTM), who had to go through the repechage (Q1) just before Q2, set the third and fourth fastest times. But Marquez will only start in sixth position because he had received a three-place penalty on the next grid at the end of the last race, the France Grand Prix, after hampering several drivers at the start.
Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) and Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati-VR46), who is close behind Bagnaia in the championship standings, also took advantage of this to gain a place and start fourth and fifth respectively.
The Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), also hit in the foot after a fall... on bike, will start from seventh position, just ahead of Frenchman Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac).
The Top 10 is rounded out by Spaniard Alex Rins (Honda-LCR) and South African Brad Binder (KTM), while Italians Luca Marini (Ducati-VR46) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati), who returns from a shoulder injury suffered during the first weekend of the season in Portugal, will start in 11th and 12th place.
Quartararo, already disappointing on Friday riding his Yamaha, will start only 15th on the grid in the sprint and Sunday in the Grand Prix. "El Diablo", who had set the 16th fastest time in practice on Friday, only took fifth place in the repechage (Q1) on Saturday and will therefore start on the fifth row, just behind teammate Franco Morbidelli.
© 2023 AFP