KTM rider Pedro Acosta took pole position for MotoGP's Catalan Grand Prix at Barcelona, as Aprilia's two lead title contenders hindered their weekends by crashing.

Jorge Martin went down in Q1 (but advanced) and Marco Bezzecchi crashed in Q2, so neither made the top eight - with Aprilia's honour upheld instead by Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez in fourth.

But Acosta appeared in total control through Q2, setting multiple times good enough for pole and ending up on a 1m38.068s as his benchmark.

Franco Morbidelli, who had advanced from Q1 with Martin, produced a big lap in what had been such a dreary season to place second - as he outqualified VR46 team-mate Fabio Di Giannantonio for the first time in 2026.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) was second behind Acosta after the initial runs, and did improve later but wound up third.

Joining Fernandez on the second row was LCR rider Johann Zarco - as the lead Honda - and Di Giannantonio.

Again Fabio Quartararo was the Yamaha benchmark, this time in eighth, ahead of Acosta's team-mate Brad Binder and Martin.

Martin had crashed hard at the sharp Turn 5 left-hander, known sometimes as the SEAT corner, but it didn't keep him from advancing from Q1 - and he salvaged a ninth place.

It also marked the first time he's ever outqualified Bezzecchi as an Aprilia rider. Bezzecchi was eighth after the initial runs but crashed at speed at Turn 2 during his closing attempts, so was shuffled down to 12th - ending up behind Joan Mir (Honda) and Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha).

Provisional Catalan GP grid

1 Acosta 2 Morbidelli 3 A Marquez
4 R Fernandez 5 Zarco 6 Di Giannantonio
7 Quartararo 8 Binder 9 Martin
10 Mir 11 Miller 12 Bezzecchi
13 Bagnaia 14 Bastianini 15 Aldeguer
16 Marini 17 Vinales 18 Ogura
19 Rins 20 Moreira 21 A Fernandez
22 Razgatlioglu

Sole works Ducati rider Pecco Bagnaia - who had Morbidelli behind him on both riders' fastest Q1 lap - came up half a tenth short of advancing, with former team-mate Enea Bastianini also eliminated after leading Q1 early on.

Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) will join Bagnaia and Bastianini on the fifth row after crashing - also at Turn 5, and also at speed - during a late push to make Q2.

Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) qualified 17th on his MotoGP return, one spot ahead of French Grand Prix podium finisher Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) - the only Aprilia rider outside Q2.

It was a brutal first Barcelona MotoGP qualifying for Pramac Yamaha rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu, flabbergasted on Friday by the lack of grip he'd felt.

He set no legal time on his first Q1 run, went off-track on his outlap on run two, then crashed hard at Turn 5 to confirm last place on the grid.