Morbidelli Tops Friday in Qatar as Martin Makes Steady Return
A new name takes the spotlight under the Lusail lights, while a familiar one eases back into the MotoGP fold.
Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar
Under the glimmering lights of Lusail, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) stole the show with a blistering late-session lap to claim the top spot on the opening day of the Qatar GP. His 1:50.925 was enough to push fellow Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) into second, while Marc Marquez ensured both factory Ducatis ended the day in the top three.
Perhaps just as significant, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) made his highly anticipated return to MotoGP action after missing time due to injury. The reigning World Champion enjoyed a smooth, drama-free day as he reacclimated himself to the grid.
All Eyes on Q2: Intensity Ramps Up Late
As Friday’s time attacks approached their peak, Alex Marquez was initially leading the charge with a 1:51.704, narrowly ahead of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez—just 0.092 seconds separated the top three. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was also making waves early on, sitting comfortably in fourth ahead of the VR46 duo of Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Once the soft Michelin tyres came out with about 15 minutes to go, the leaderboard began to shift dramatically. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) momentarily broke into the top 10, but the real fireworks were yet to come.
Bagnaia laid down the first serious marker with a 1:50.975—two tenths clear of the field—before Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) leapt into third. But things were far from settled.
Final Flurry: Morbidelli Makes His Move
As the session entered its closing minutes, Di Giannantonio climbed to third just before Marc Marquez jumped up to second—only 0.022s behind Bagnaia. After a brief lull, the final shootout began.
Quartararo delivered one of the biggest moves of the day, vaulting to P5 from outside the top 10. Di Giannantonio quickly one-upped him to reclaim third. Then drama struck: Jack Miller crashed again at Turn 7—his second fall of the day—bringing out yellow flags and limiting final runs for many.
Still, a handful of riders managed one last charge. Rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) climbed into P9, while Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) nabbed the final Q2 spot, knocking Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) out of contention.
Locked In: Your Automatic Q2 Qualifiers
Leading into Saturday, here’s the ten-rider lineup with a direct path to Q2:
- Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)
- Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team)
- Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team)
- Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP)
- Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)
- Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3)
- Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP)
- Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol)
Martin’s Return: A Solid Start
While Martin didn’t break into the top ten, the reigning Champion wasn’t looking for fireworks just yet. He logged 20 clean laps and finished around 1.5 seconds off the top pace—a positive sign considering the context.
There’s still work to do as he faces Q1 on Saturday, but for now, it’s a steady first step back. All eyes will be on whether Martin can mount a comeback charge and fight for a top-two spot in Q1 to secure a Q2 berth.
Up Next: Qualifying and Sprint Action
With Friday’s shakedown complete, attention now shifts to Saturday.
- Qualifying kicks off at 15:40 local time (UTC +3)
- The first Tissot Sprint of the season begins at 20:00
Can Morbidelli convert Friday form into pole position? Will Bagnaia or Marc Marquez strike back? And can Martin rediscover his magic in time for Sunday’s main event?
The stage is set, and in Qatar, anything can happen.
Gonzalez Tops Moto2 Practice as Dixon Hits the Deck
Gonzalez Rockets to the Top in Moto2 Practice as Dixon Crashes Late
A Comeback Statement from Gonzalez
Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) returned to the sharp end of the Moto2 field on Friday with a late flyer that put him back on top of the timesheets. After a tough outing at the Americas GP, the Spaniard found redemption under the Lusail lights, clocking a session-topping lap in the closing stages of practice.
Joining Gonzalez in the late-session shuffle was Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO), who surged up the leaderboard to take second place. Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who had led going into the final five minutes, was bumped down to P3. Still, it marked one of the rookie’s most impressive showings so far this season.
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounded out the top four, improving in the final sector to finish just under a tenth off the best time.
Strong Outings for Arenas and Holgado
Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) had spent much of the session as the rider to beat. Though he was shuffled back in the final run, he held on to fifth place and, like Holgado, logged one of his strongest performances of the year.
Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) continued his run of strong form with a sixth-place finish, ahead of Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) and Marcos Ramirez (American Racing Team). Ramirez found time late in the session to jump into P8.
A significant milestone was hit by David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who qualified directly for Q2 for the first time in his rookie Moto2 season, ending the day in ninth.
Dixon Goes Down, Makes Q2 Cut
Championship leader Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) experienced some late drama with a crash at Turn 15 just before the session ended. Fortunately, he walked away without injury and had already done enough to secure a spot in the top 10.
Who Else Makes the Cut?
Rounding out the top 14 who progress directly to Q2 were Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun), Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team), Mario Aji (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), and Darryn Binder (ITALJET Gresini Moto2). All four managed to avoid the uncertainty of Q1.
Some notable names missing from that list include Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), who struggled to find late-session pace and ended up 17th and 18th respectively.
Eyes on Qualifying
With the grid still wide open heading into Saturday, all eyes will be on qualifying to see if Gonzalez can convert Friday form into a front-row start—or if the rest of the pack has more to give.
Rueda Flies to the Top on Friday in Doha
Rueda Lights Up Lusail to Lead the Way in Moto3 Friday Practice
Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was the standout performer under the floodlights of Lusail on Friday, setting the pace and firmly announcing his intentions for the Qatar GP weekend. The Spanish rider fired in the fastest time of the day in Moto3, laying down a strong early marker.
Hot on his heels was Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), who slotted into second, just 0.244s behind Rueda. His teammate, Angel Piqueras, made it a double showing for the FRINSA squad in the top three as he locked in third place.
There was some late-session drama involving Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), who crashed after contact with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing). Despite the tumble, Foggia had already done enough to secure P4 on the timesheets, booking his spot in Q2. Unfortunately for Fernandez, the contact not only ended his run but also left him 16th, outside the crucial top 14.
Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounded out the top five, while impressive rookie performances were turned in by Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), both comfortably securing Q2 slots. Thailand’s Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Team Asia) also made headlines, grabbing a hard-fought 14th place – his first direct entry into Q2.
With qualifying spots on the line and more action to come, the Moto3 field is heating up fast in the desert night.
Official MotoGP Press Release
