KTM rider Pedro Acosta earned pole position at the Catalunya MotoGP in qualifying on Saturday, while overall leader Marco Bezzecchi crashed.
Acosta was fastest on Friday in practice at the Circuit de Barcelona and maintained that comfortably, posting the best time at 1min38.068sec.
The Spaniard, starting from pole for the second time in his career, will be joined on the front row by Franco Morbidelli and last year's Catalan Grand Prix winner, Alex Marquez.
"I'm happy, it had been a while since the last," said Acosta, who earned his first MotoGP pole in Japan in 2024.
"It seems like everything is coming together pretty well... although we still have a lot of work to do."
The pole was also KTM's first in six years, since Pol Espargaro earned one in Valencia in 2020.
"They deserve it, they're working hard... so, I'm happy," added Acosta.
The Shark attacks and grabs POLE POSITION 🦈#CatalanGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/uwLtg2zlBv
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 16, 2026
Aprilia rider Bezzecchi, leading Jorge Martin by a single point, crashed before the final run and will start from position 12.
Martin, triumphant at Le Mans last weekend in the French Grand Prix, took ninth.
He struggled in practice on Friday and had to participate in Q1 for the first time this season, in which he crashed.
Ducati rider Francisco Bagnaia failed to get out of Q1 and starts from 13th.
Last year's champion Marc Marquez is out after surgery on his right foot and shoulder. The sprint takes place later Saturday before Sunday's Grand Prix.