Bezzecchi came out with flying colours registering the best time to grab his third pole of the season.
Champions Mercedes are chasing a sixth successive double, and Lewis Hamilton his sixth drivers' title, but the task looks tougher than ever.
'But I think because he's such an enthusiast, this is just what he needs. And what Ferrari needs'
Mercedes set for proper fight with Ferrari in Melbourne
Qualifying took place at a sunny Suzuka on Sunday morning after being postponed from its usual Saturday slot due to the approach of Typhoon Hagibis.
Media reports said the "Kentucky Kid", who won the MotoGP championship on a Honda in 2006, is in a serious condition.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel put himself on pole position to retake the Formula One lead from Lewis Hamilton after setting the fastest lap in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.
'We've still got work to do to get both cars home in the points. We'll take positives from today, but we're trying to find a bit more every weekend.'
The next time the four-time world champion will get behind the wheel will be for first Friday practice at Melbourne's Albert Park on March 23.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, winner of 52 races, has gone more than a year since he tasted victory at last year's Belgian race.
The 30-year-old Indian driver said he'd be delighted to get back to racing, but he's definitely enjoying his time at Williams.
India's motor racing ace Narain Karthikeyan could be in line for a Formula One comeback as replacement for dropped Dutch driver Christijan Albers.
Former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden spent a second day in intensive care on Thursday after colliding with a car while cycling in eastern Italy.
Briton Jenson Button was second fastest for Honda, ahead of Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello.
MotoGP: KTM's Oliveira powers to victory in Barcelona thriller
Formula One's 'halo' head protection device makes its race debut this season in a 21-round championship with France and Germany back on the calendar and some new faces joining the old favourites on the starting grid.
Ferrari will present their new Formula One car online on January 30, a day after McLaren take the wraps off their Honda-powered challenger.
The German secured his first pole since Spain in May when the red flags came out with 36 seconds remaining, leaving team mate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton no chance of claiming a 12th pole in 14 races.
World champion Lewis Hamilton, back in the car after his COVID-19-enforced absence at last week's Sakhir Grand Prix, was third but only 0.086 seconds off the pace.
Hamilton is seven points clear of Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas after five of the 21 races.
Lewis Hamilton heads into Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix fired up to complete a hat-trick of victories and seize the lead in the Formula One title race for the first time this season.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will start the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix from pole position after setting the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel battle to match the late Argentine's 1950s feat of five world championships.
Formula One champions Mercedes expect to be beaten by Ferrari this season and also see McLaren catching up fast after a dismal 2015 for the Honda-powered team, engine head Andy Cowell said.
The four-time world champion's fifth win of the season for Mercedes left him on 213 points to 189 for Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who finished second, and relishing the prospect of a stress-free family holiday.
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel limbered up for a Japanese Grand Prix that could bring him a fourth successive title on Sunday with the fastest time in Friday practice.
Nico Rosberg won the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix for the second year in a row in a Mercedes one-two finish with team mate Lewis Hamilton on Sunday.
Team by team analysis of Sunday's Russian Grand Prix (listed in championship order):
Lewis Hamilton seized pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday in a damp qualifying session that saw both the Formula One world champion and his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg skid off on their final laps.
Former world champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button are among six drivers hit with a plethora of penalties on the grid for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The 2019 Formula One world championship starts on March 17 with 21 races in a season that ends later than any since 1963.
'McLaren car is 100 percent ready'
Team by team prospects for the 2016 Formula One season.
Lewis Hamilton's world championship defence got off to a flying start on Sunday with a crushing victory for Mercedes in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as Formula One rivals succumbed to a farcical rash of reliability problems.
Formula One legend, Niki Lauda, thinks it's going to be a tighter fight between them, because the latter wants to make sure now he can beat the Briton.
Mick Schumacher is now expected to move up to Formula One with Red Bull's Honda-powered AlphaTauri team
'Renault Sport Racing managing director Cyril Abiteboul told reporters that Ricciardo could be the spark needed to ignite the team on track'
Former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden died five days after the American was hit by a car while cycling in eastern Italy, his Honda World Superbike team said.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
The regulations have not changed significantly but there are always details that can be improved, new ways of packaging the whole. And teams will want to know who has done something different.
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