Team Suzuki Ecstar, thanks to Alex Rins, topped the timesheets on Day 1 of 2022 as MotoGP™ returned to blistering action at the Grand Prix of Qatar. The Spaniard set a 1:53.432 under the lights in FP2 to lead Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) by 0.035s, as Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completed the top three.

With the Lusail International Circuit floodlights beaming, the premier class got straight to work and the lap times fell. Marc Marquez sat top before Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took over as the riders got some valuable laps under their belts at the same time the race is going to be at on Sunday.

With 20 minutes to go, the time attacks started. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) climbed to the summit as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) crashed unhurt at Turn 1. Pol Espargaro went even faster on his second flying lap on the soft tyres, his gap was up to 0.4s, but a whole heap of rapid laps were about to be posted.

The first 1:53 lap was posted by Mir with 13 minutes to go. That was swiftly beaten by Marc Marquez, the new benchmark was a 1:53.711, but that time didn’t stand as the fastest for long either – Rins went 0.174s clear. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) closed the gap with two minutes to go before Mir made it a Suzuki 1-2, but Marc Marquez returned to P1 with a minute left on the clock.

Again, though, Rins ensured Marc Marquez didn’t spend long at the top, and that’s how it ended. Rins is the rider to beat heading into Day 2 from Marc Marquez and Mir.

For the most part, it had been a quiet day for the Ducatis but Martin takes away a P4 from Friday’s running, the 2021 Rookie of the Year sits ahead of fastest Yamaha Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – a late time saw the Italian leap up the timesheets. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is sixth ahead of qualifying day in the desert, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) grabbed P7 despite getting in a bit of a tangle with teammate Maverick Viñales on his final flying effort.

Reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) is four tenths off the pace in P8, just ahead of Pol Espargaro in ninth and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in tenth – the Italian sneaking into the top 10 after a crash at Turn 6 in FP1.

0.8s splits the top 15 down to FP1 pacesetter Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the riders outside the top 10 now face an uphill battle to try and earn an automatic Q2 place in the warmer, day time conditions.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) crashed twice in quick succession in FP2, once at Turn 6 and then on the next lap at Turn 10 – rider ok.

Tune into MotoGP™ FP3 from Qatar at 13:15 local time (GMT+3).

Top 10 combined:
1. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – 1:53.432
2. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.035
3. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.147
4. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.220
5. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.413
6. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.438
7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.454
8. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.474
9. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.531
10. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.539

FP1 pacesetter Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended the Moto2™ second Free Practice session at the top of the timesheets after the Spaniard set a 1:59.112, as the sun sets at the Grand Prix of Qatar. Rookie Pedro Acosta makes it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 on Day 1, 0.160s off P1, with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) – recovering from a broken hand – lands P3 late on.

The opening exchanges of FP2 were busy as track conditions allowed the riders to immediately improve their times from the earlier FP1 stint. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) rose to the top on his fifth flying lap, before Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) moved the goalposts with just under 10 minutes to go. Acosta and Fernandez then exchanged P1, as Dixon then crashed – unhurt – as he chased a time to go back to the summit. In the end, Fernandez held P1 from Acosta, with Schrötter rising to P3 on his last lap.

Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) edged out Canet by 0.004s as the pair finished P4 and P5 respectively at the end of the first day of intermediate class action in 2022. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) is sixth going into Saturday’s action with rookie Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) going well in FP2 to finish seventh. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) were P8 and P9 respectively, as Dixon slipped to P10.

Moto2™ FP3 goes green at 12:20 local time (GMT+3), who will automatically get themselves into the first Q2 session of the season?

Top 10 combined:
1. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 1:59.112
2. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.160
3. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 0.164
4. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) + 0.437
5. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) + 0.444
6. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.547
7. Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) + 0.554
8. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.590
9. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) + 0.593
10. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.650

Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed the first Friday Moto3™ honours of the season thanks to a late 2:04.920 in FP2 at the Grand Prix of Qatar. John McPhee (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) finished second, 0.424s off, with FP1 pacesetter Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) ending Day 1 in P3 after failing to improve his time from earlier.

Most of the action came in the final five minutes of FP2 at the Lusail International Circuit, but ahead of the final flurry of fast laps, Guevera had to pull up at the end of the front straight with a broken chain. Luckily, the Aspar Team mechanics were able to sort the issue as the Spanish sophomore then went out to slam home the only 2:04 time of the day. McPhee had briefly sat top with his final fast lap effort, as we saw Foggia shuffled down to third – the Italian rode alone in the closing stages while everyone else went in search of a tow. A sign of his confidence, perhaps?

Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) completed the top five in FP2, 0.5s off Guevara, with the experienced Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) sixth. 2021 Qatar GP race winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was seventh ahead of Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), his teammate Xavier Artigas, and 10th place Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse).

Moto3™ FP3 gets underway on Saturday at 11:25 local time (GMT+3), will there be any improvers? The first Q2 places of the season are at stake. 

Top 10 combined:
1. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – 2:04.920
2. John McPhee (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) + 0,424
3. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) + 0.494
4. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) + 0.525
5. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.583
6. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) + 0.587
7. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.654
8. Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing Pruestel GP) + 0.692
9. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing Pruestel GP) + 0.861
10. Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.910