Qualifying in MotoGP is a conundrum. The closeness of the modern premier class means it is easy to find yourself down on the fourth row, or even out of Q2 altogether. Add in innovations such as aerodynamic wings and ride-height devices, which make braking ever more difficult, and the emphasis on qualifying only grows.
One factory has made something of a speciality of qualifying, having had at least one bike on the front row of the grid in every race since the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana in 2020. That is 23 races in a row. After Saturday in Texas, that streak has been extended to 24 races. And in that period, they have locked out the front row three times.
I am talking, of course, about Ducati. Over a single lap, the Ducati has proven to be almost peerless. In those 24 races, Ducatis have occupied 41 of the 72 available front row places, including 13 pole positions. Yamaha are the closest, though the gap is massive: they have 18 front row spots, and 7 pole positions. Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia have 6 poles a piece for Ducati, Fabio Quartararo the same for Yamaha, with Johann Zarco and Franco Morbidelli taking a single pole each for Ducati and Yamaha respectively.
