Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia takes pole on home turf at San Marino Grand Prix

Francesco Bagnaia (27) secured pole position for Ducati at the San Marino Grand Prix on Saturday, achieving this feat on home soil after the reigning world champion set a new lap record during qualifying at the Misano circuit. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez (31) from Gresini Racing experienced a crash.

Bagnaia was among the early riders to take to the track, establishing a strong pace before ultimately breaking the lap record towards the conclusion of the second qualifying session with a time of one minute and 30.304 seconds.

Franco Morbidelli claimed the second-fastest time for Pramac Racing, while Marco Bezzecchi of VR46 Racing will start in third place, resulting in a front-row lockout for Ducati with three Italian riders, all of whom are graduates of the esteemed MotoGP academy founded by Valentino Rossi.

"I take great pride in this day as it marks a significant milestone for the Academy. It is rewarding to see the results of our extensive training here. This is the first occasion where we can collectively showcase the outcomes of our hard work," Bagnaia remarked.

"I am very pleased with this achievement, and I am also satisfied with my pace, which is exceptionally good. My connection with the bike feels fantastic."

Despite having endured a severe crash at the Aragon Grand Prix the previous weekend, Bagnaia noted that he is not yet fully physically recovered.

"Fortunately, while I am riding, I feel fine, which is encouraging," he added.

Championship leader Jorge Martin, Morbidelli's teammate, recorded the fourth-fastest time, while MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta from GasGas Tech3 emerged as the fastest non-Ducati rider on his KTM. Brad Binder from the factory KTM team rounded out the second row.

Marquez, who had previously secured pole and triumphed in both the sprint and race at the Aragon Grand Prix, crashed at turn 15 after losing control of his front end, resulting in a ninth-place start on the grid, positioned behind his brother Alex and Ducati's Enea Bastianini.