The young Spaniard made a name for himself in Qatar last season when he stormed to a maiden pole in just his second MotoGP appearance at the Doha Grand Prix, before finishing third in the race.
Martin will continue to use Ducati’s full 2022 engine and not the hybrid version factory team riders Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller have switched to.
In a thrilling first qualifying of the year, Martin snatched top spot on his final lap with a 1m53.011s to claim the fifth pole of his MotoGP career.
He headed Gresini’s Enea Bastianini on a 2021-spec Ducati, while Honda’s Marc Marquez completed the front row having last raced in Qatar in 2019.
Miller was the first of the factory team Ducatis in fourth, while Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro was a strong fifth ahead of the second factory team Honda of Pol Espargaro, Q1 pacesetter Brad Binder on the KTM and 2020 world champion Joan Mir on the Suzuki.
Bagnaia was ninth on the other factory team Ducati, while Alex Rins headed a disappointed reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo in 11th as the two factory Yamahas occupied the last two spots in Q2.
Sunday’s 22-lap MotoGP race will get underway at 6pm local time (3pm GMT).
2022 MotoGP Qatar GP qualifying results:
2022 MotoGP Qatar GP Q1 results:
FIM announces ban on Russian, Belarusian license holders
Quartararo “not super angry” after “tough” Qatar MotoGP qualifying
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
Qatar MotoGP poleman Martin “needs something else” to fight for win
Qatar MotoGP: Martin storms to pole, Quartararo 11th
2022 Ducati MotoGP bike “still hard to handle” – Zarco
Mandalika MotoGP track gravel “like knives”, says Pramac’s Martin
The scars left by Lorenzo’s Ducati flirtation
Quartararo signs new two-year MotoGP deal with Yamaha
“Harmony” in Suzuki MotoGP team not same since exit decision
Why Marquez’s surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
Espargaro says VR46 duo fight cost him chance of Mugello win
Why Marquez’s surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki’s decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki’s sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda’s MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads – caused by the discrepancy in its riders’ feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo’s win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP’s most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn’t been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
