Pedro Acosta delivered a masterclass in qualifying for the Catalan Grand Prix, storming to his second career MotoGP pole position while the factory Aprilia squad endured a disastrous session with both riders crashing out.

The young KTM star was unstoppable from the opening laps of the 15-minute Q2 session at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, consistently improving his times to finish a commanding quarter-second ahead of the field. His final flying lap of 1m38.068s proved untouchable, securing his first pole since the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.

Franco Morbidelli was the surprise package of the day, qualifying second on the VR46 Ducati with Valentino Rossi watching from the garage. The Italian secured his first front-row start since last year's Aragon round, while 2025 Catalan GP winner Alex Marquez completed the front row on his Gresini Ducati.

The drama unfolded with five minutes remaining when championship leader Marco Bezzecchi crashed heavily at Turn 2, his Aprilia barrel-rolling through the gravel trap and bringing out yellow flags. The incident was compounded by teammate Jorge Martin's earlier struggles—the French GP winner crashed for the third time this weekend during his Q1 cooldown lap, damaging his primary bike.

Raul Fernandez was the top Aprilia finisher in fourth, while Johann Zarco led Honda's charge in fifth ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio and Fabio Quartararo's Yamaha. Brad Binder was the only other KTM rider to reach Q2, qualifying eighth for Sunday's race.

With Acosta's stunning pace and the factory Aprilias struggling, Sunday's race promises plenty of excitement as the championship battle heats up.