MotoGP Jerez 2026: Márquez on pole in wet qualifying, all the riders’ statements

The MotoGP 2026 Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session, held at Circuito di Jerez-Ángel Nieto, told a story of instinct, risk and sensitivity. It was not a “normal” session: the track, halfway between wet and dry, forced everyone to improvise, lap after lap.

In this tricky scenario, Marc Márquez made the difference. The Spaniard took pole position with a lap built more on heart than calculation, once again showing how effective he is when the conditions become unpredictable.

Márquez: “You can’t think too much, you have to trust”

His pole came from exactly this approach. At the end of qualifying, Márquez explained with great clarity what is needed in these situations:

“It was a qualifying session on the limit. In these conditions you can’t think too much, you have to ride on instinct. I took a lot of risks in the second sector, but it was the only way to make the difference.”

Simple words, but they capture the reality of the track well: those who tried to control things too much lost time. Those who dared instead, like him, managed to make the difference.

Zarco close to pole: “I could have done it”

Behind him was Johann Zarco, the author of a very solid performance, built already from Q1.

The Frenchman is satisfied, but not completely:

“I’m happy, but also a bit disappointed. Pole was within reach. On the last lap I found traffic and lost something in the final sector.”

His regret says a lot: today pole was not out of reach, but a small setback was enough to ruin everything.

Di Giannantonio confirms his positive form

Fabio Di Giannantonio continues to improve as well, bringing his Ducati VR46 onto the front row with a very solid third place.

After the session, his comment was more focused on the process than on the result:

“It’s an important result. Not just the lap time, but the consistency we are finding. In these conditions it was easy to make a mistake, but instead we stayed clear-headed.”

A statement that shows maturity: not just speed, but also control.

Bagnaia struggles: “I had no grip”

If on one side there are those smiling, on the other there are those who lived through a difficult Saturday. That is the case of Francesco Bagnaia, never really comfortable.

The main problem? Confidence on the bike:

“Honestly, I had no grip. I couldn’t push as I wanted. Every time I tried to force it, the bike moved too much.”

In conditions this delicate, losing even a little feeling is enough to immediately find yourself far from the leaders.

Bezzecchi and Acosta: interesting signs

Among the protagonists of the day are also Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta.

Bezzecchi, fourth, stays close to the front row:

“We did a good job. The front row was close, but we are there.”

Acosta, meanwhile, keeps learning quickly even in difficult conditions:

“It was complicated, but fun. When the track is like this, you learn a huge amount lap after lap.”

A qualifying session decided by the track

More than the riders, the track was the deciding factor today. The mixed conditions made everything unpredictable: different grip at every corner, lines to reinvent, tyres difficult to manage.

In this context, it was not only the fastest bike that won, but the rider most sensitive to the conditions, the one able to adapt in real time.

What to expect from the race

Márquez’s pole is a strong signal, but it does not end the fight. If the conditions remain uncertain, the race could change shape at any moment.

Zarco is close, Di Giannantonio is improving, and even those who struggled today — like Bagnaia — could get back into contention.

At Jerez, more than anywhere else, it takes little to go from control to chaos. And that is exactly what makes the weekend still all to play for.