SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) – Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia smashed the lap record in the final moments of the second qualifying to clinch his second pole position of the season at the British Grand Prix on Saturday, while twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia finished second.
Ducati’s Bagnaia looked on course to take pole with a scorching lap but was bumped out from the top spot by 35-year-old Espargaro’s late effort. Espargaro announced in May that he will retire at the end of the 2024 season.
Enea Bastianini of Ducati finished third fastest. World championship contender Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing, who will switch to Aprilia from the 2025 season, came into qualifying at Silverstone off the back of strong practice sessions but managed to come fourth.
Martin trails Bagnaia by 10 points and will have the opportunity to close that gap during the sprint later on Saturday.
Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez of Gresini Racing, third in the championship, came in seventh.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
