Valencia MotoGP, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Full Qualifying Results

Full Qualifying results and grid line-up for the Valencia MotoGP at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, the 18th and final round of the 2021 world championship.
Jorge Martin Valencia MotoGP, 13 November 2021
Jorge Martin Valencia MotoGP, 13 November 2021
© Gold and Goose Photography

Jorge Martin ends his rookie MotoGP season with pole position for the 2021 Valencia finale, as the factory Ducatis of Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller both fall at the end of qualifying.

Bagnaia was holding pole when he slid off at the Turn 2 hairpin, just before Martin snatched P1 and then Miller - the only rider on the medium rather than hard front tyre and also challenging for pole - went down at Turn 11.

Suzuki's Joan Mir was the only non-Ducati in the top five, with Brad Binder in seventh for KTM and new world champion Fabio Quartararo eighth for Yamaha.

Valentino Rossi, whose legendary MotoGP career reaches its conclusion this weekend, will start his final grand prix from tenth on the grid.

The Italian had delighted his fans by claiming direct Qualifying 2 access, with the aid of a tow from VR46 protegee Bagnaia this morning. The pair then began qualifying together but Rossi's hopes of a tow ended when he ran wide at Turn 1 while tucked in behind the Ducati.

Rossi tried again behind Bagnaia as they left the pits for The Doctor's last MotoGP qualifying run. This time Rossi was more cautious at Turn 1 but struggled to stay in the wheeltracks of the Ducati as Bagnaia shot to the top.

Nonetheless, Rossi briefly moved to seventh on what would be his best lap, before others improved in the final minutes.

Sunday will also be the last grand prix for Danilo Petrucci (switching to the Dakar) and Iker Lecuona (moving to WorldSBK).

Pol Espargaro, Repsol Honda's only rider this weekend after the withdraw of Marc Marquez and second fastest on Friday, missed the afternoon sessions and is in doubt for Sunday after heading to hospital for further scans following this morning's huge Turn 13 highside, which left the Spaniard with pain in his ribs.

Team-mate Marquez is missing his second event in a row due to vision problems triggered by a training accident and won't be back on a MotoGP bike until 2022.

While the riders' (Fabio Quartararo) and constructors' (Ducati) world championship have already been decided, Ducati Lenovo holds a 28-point lead (maximum of 45 points still available) over Monster Yamaha for the teams' title…

Valencia MotoGP, Circuit Ricardo Tormo - Full Qualifying Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*1'29.936s8/9329k
2Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.064s7/8326k
3Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.389s3/8329k
4Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.459s7/9326k
5Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+0.482s7/9329k
6Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.539s3/7323k
7Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.573s5/7324k
8Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.684s3/8321k
9Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.708s7/9323k
10Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.810s6/9324k
11Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.845s3/8320k
12Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+1.088s7/8324k
 Qualifying 1:     
13Andrea DoviziosoITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)1'30.859s7/9317k
14Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)1'30.991s7/8321k
15Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)1'30.994s7/9326k
16Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)1'31.045s7/9317k
17Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*1'31.073s7/8323k
18Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*1'31.185s7/8321k
19Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)1'31.251s4/7327k
20Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)1'31.319s3/8321k
 Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)No Time0/00

* Rookie
Official Valencia MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 31.116s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Jorge Lorenzo SPA Yamaha 1m 29.401s (2016)

By Peter McLaren

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