In a stunning show of speed in qualifying, Bagnaia destroyed the lap record at the Losail International Circuit with a 1m52.772s to take his first premier class pole position, beating a trio of Yamaha riders in the process.
Fabio Quartararo led the charge for Yamaha to take second place ahead of team-mate Maverick Vinales, with Valentino Rossi impressing on his Petronas SRT debut to take fourth place.
Jack Miller slotted into fifth place for Ducati having initially challenged for pole position, with Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco completing the second row.
Despite topping FP3, Franco Morbidelli had to settle for seventh place in qualifying in an otherwise encouraging performance for the Yamaha riders.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Suzuki’s Alex Rins round out the third row, leaving defending MotoGP world champion Joan Mir in 10th place after he had to progress through Q1 in qualifying.
Fellow Q1 graduate Takaaki Nakagami qualified 11th for LCR Honda ahead of new factory Repsol Honda rider Pol Espargaro.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team
Photo by: Repsol Media
Marc Marquez remains out of action for Repsol Honda as he continues to recover from his arm injury, and confirmed earlier this week he will miss the opening two races in Qatar.
When is the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix?
- Date: Sunday 28th March 2021
- Start time: 6:00pm BST, 8:00pm local time
How can I watch the Qatar MotoGP?
In the United Kingdom, BT Sport have exclusive live broadcasting television rights. The race will be shown live on BT Sport 2, with race coverage starting at 5:30pm BST, directly after the Moto2 race.
BT Sport will also be showing the Moto3 and Moto2 races from Qatar.
- TV Channel: BT Sport 2
- Start time: 5:30pm BST
MotoGP also offers its own live online video streaming service which is available to stream in the UK.
How can I watch the Qatar MotoGP highlights?
ITV4 has secured a deal to show the highlights of each MotoGP round in 2021, including highlights of the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, which will be broadcast on each Monday evening after the race.
- TV Channel: ITV4
- Start time: Monday 29th March – 8:00pm BST
What’s the weather forecast for the race in Qatar?
Dry and clear conditions are forecast for the Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday night, with a very low chance of rain and a high of 20 degrees Celsius.