Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia earned his first pole position of 2025 at Brno, but Sylvain Guintoli thinks he learned a bigger lesson during qualifying for the Czech Grand Prix.
The Italian became only the third rider to get a pole position so far during the 2025 MotoGP season on Saturday, as Bagnaia posted a 1:52.303 time after having to come through Q1. He was the 13th fastest rider in Friday’s timed practice session, but topped Q1 with a 1:52.715.
Ducati teammate Marc Marquez should have beaten Bagnaia’s Q2 lap time to steal pole for the Czech GP with his final flying lap. But while the Spaniard set new overall best split times in the first three sectors, Marquez crashed into Turn 13 shortly after Johann Zarco fell there.
Bagnaia scoring pole for the Czech GP makes the Turin native the third rider with a pole this season after Marquez and Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo, who have earned seven and four respectively so far. It is also the 26th pole of the two-time premier class champion’s career.
Francesco Bagnaia will know he’ll ‘struggle’ to brake after following Marc Marquez at Brno
Marquez’s mistake meant Bagnaia set the pace in qualifying, despite being unable to better his provisional time at the expense of Gresini ace Alex Marquez. The 28-year-old frequently running deep into corners also cost Alex lap time and the 29-year-old ultimately finished P8.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Guintoli does not believe Bagnaia was doing anything untoward by inadvertently hindering Alex Marquez, who is currently the Italian’s first priority in the riders’ championship. Ducati have one rider in Marc Marquez leading with 344 points, but Bagnaia has 197 to Alex’s 261.
“It was just a little fight for position, basically,” Guintoli said on TNT Sports 2 (19/07, 10:39). “They were not in a fast lap there, actually, because they’d gone through a yellow that was caused by [Marco] Bezzecchi’s crash at Turn 1.
“So, they were just trying to get position there behind Marc. And you’ve got Alex trying to be behind Marc, you’ve got Pecco trying to be beyond Marc, as well. So, you can see Pecco there attacking. He’s not really attacking, because they’re not going at race pace. But they are dicing for the position, and it’s actually Pecco who got the last word there.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
But, while Guintoli does not think Bagnaia was trying to hinder Alex Marquez during Q2, he does feel following Marc Marquez at the end of qualifying will have benefited the Italian for the Czech GP. Bagnaia will know he will ‘struggle’ braking behind his teammate in the races.
Guintoli added: “No, I don’t think so. I think, though, what Pecco would have found in what happened after that, he was right behind Marc for that last time attack, and Pecco looked like he really struggled to stop the bike at Turn 1, really struggled to stop the bike at Turn 3.
“So, I think Pecco, in the wake of a rider, is going to struggle to stop the bike. The problem is still there. So, for Pecco, it’s going to be really important to get the holeshot. I do think he’s going to struggle a bit if he is behind in the braking zones.
“But that gives him the best opportunity. So, yeah, for him it’s the perfect scenario to do a good couple of races.”
Marc Marquez is stronger under braking than Francesco Bagnaia with the Ducati GP25
Bagnaia is yet to beat Marc Marquez in a straight fight since the Spaniard joined him in the factory Ducati garage this season. The 2022 and 2023 champion secured his sole win so far this season after Marquez crashed out from a comfortable lead in the Americas Grand Prix.
Braking was also once his great strength, but Bagnaia has struggled to stop the Ducati GP25 as well as Marquez has managed. So, the Italian will no doubt be worried that he could lose to the 32-year-old again at the Czech GP if he drops behind the six-time MotoGP champion.
Jorge Lorenzo has called Bagnaia’s struggles compared to Marquez ‘abysmal’, as well, after he watched the Italian lose heaps of lap time to the Spaniard at the German Grand Prix last week. Giacomo Agostini has touted replacements for Bagnaia, as well, in case he wants out.
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