Con♉tinuing the theme of MotoGP qualifying in 2022, Le Mans produced another tightly-contested Q2 session, albeit one that was again dominated by Ducati. 

Bagnaia, who secured his first pole of the year last time out in Jerez, set a new lap record - the fourth time tha🎀t’s happened today - as he led a factory Ducatiꦯ 1-2. 

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Jack Miller wa꧒s aided in his bid to claim a front row as team-mate Bagnaia provided the Australian witꦺh the perfect tow.

While others got close to Bagnaia, in particular Aleix Espargaro as the Aprilia rider had three red sectors on his final lap, the 🌞winner at Jerez has put himself in a prime position to deliver a fourth win for Ducati this season. 

Qualifying wasn’t without its shocks and surpr♐ises thoꦆugh, so who are they?

Enea Bastianini - 5th 

After finishing fastest on day-one, Bastianini continued his impressive form at Le Mans by matching his second best qualifying result of the se✨ason. 

Starting from fifth on two other occasions, Bastianini will l♒ine-up in the middle of the second row after a l💯ate effort saw him push Johann Zarco down to sixth. 

Bastianini came close to knocking Bagnaia off top spot, however, sector four was proviꦛng to be difficult for the Italian, and he was not alone in encountering that problem. 

Bagnaia made up most of his time in sectors three ▨and four, so although Bastianini was quicker on two separate laps coming into S4, the two-time MotoGP race winne♏r lost out in the end. 

Nevertheless, with Bastianini looking strong on FP4 - a good sign considering late race pace is a major strength for the f𓆉ormer Moto2 champion, starting from fifth is likely to be a position that can allow him to fight for the๊ podium. 

Which MotoGP riders failed to deliver in qualifying?

Johann Zarco - 6th

After looking like the rider to beat in FP3, Zarco failed to deliver the pace many expected, instead man♔aging just sixth on the grid. 

Zarco, who secured pole at Le Mans in 2017, was unable to challenge for the front row at any stage, ahead of ꦜa race that could be equally as tricky. 

The French rider was only 15th in FP4 and didn’t appear to have the same race pac♎e as pole sitter Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo or Alex Rins. 

Maverick Vinales - 14th 

With team-mate Aleix Espargaro qualifying in P3, Vinales’s 14th place s𒀰tart in Sunday’s race is yet another sign that he’s starting ಌfurther back than he should. 

Frustratinglꦓy for Vinales, the Spaniard has shown good pace this weekend, but as is becoming all-too familiaౠr for the ex-Yamaha rider, problems in qualifying remain his downfall. 

Mired back in the mid-fie🅷ld, achieving anything better than a top ten is already looking difficult for Vinales. 

Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro a long way off

Marc Marquez - 10th 

While Marquez has struggled for outright pace when alone at Le Mans, the Honda rider🦋 looked j🧸ust fine when following Quartararo in FP3. 

In fact, Marquez did a double st📖int behind the world champion and ult🎉imately finished third. 

But after making ꧟a mistake behind Bagnaia at the😼 start of Q2, the eight-time world champion was unable to find any type of rhythm, instead showing frustration with himself at the end of qualifying. 

A s♛imilar result to Jerez is going to ❀require a very good start in Sunday’s 27 lap race. 

Pol Espargaro - 11th 

With his future at Honda in the balance, Espargaro started the weekend 𝓰in good shape as he finished fastest in FP1. 

And although Espargaro has shown glimpses in other sessions, it’ꦰs not been enough to 🐓stop a worrying trend. 

Too often Espargaro seems to be struggling to find pace as the weekend goes on, which culminated in 👍finishing four tenths down on Marquez in qualifying. That’s despite the two Repsol riders  being separated by just one position.