(Reuters) – Ducati’s reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia smashed the circuit lap record to take pole position for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.
The pole was the Italian’s first of the season, and 12th of his career, after starting the previous two races in Portugal and Argentina on the front row and taking a double victory in the opening round.
The factory team rider’s best lap of two minutes 01.892 seconds, at an average speed of 162.8 kph, secured pole for Saturday’s later sprint and Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas.
It was the first time a rider had lapped the circuit inside two minutes and two seconds.
LCR Honda’s Alex Rins, second but 0.161 off the pole pace, and VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini completed the front row.
Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez, VR46 Ducati’s championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia’s Alex Espergaro filled the second row.
Marquez’s brother Marc, a six-times world champion in the top category, is not racing in Texas this weekend after being injured in the opening race in Portimao.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)