Jorge Martin began his 2024 MotoGP season in impressive fashion by setting the fastest time in the first practice session for the Qatar Grand Prix. The 22 riders took to the Losail International Circuit on Friday afternoon after a two-week break since the Qatar test. While most focused on longer runs to get back into the rhythm, the lap times gradually improved throughout the session.
Rookie and reigning Moto2 world champion Pedro Acosta had an early taste of leading an official MotoGP session, setting a time of 1:53.992s. Ducati riders Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, and Enea Bastianini took turns at the top as the times dropped towards the 1:52s mark.
As the session neared its end, the riders started to prepare for the late-time attack in the evening’s second practice session. Just as Acosta seemed poised to claim the fastest time, Martin set a commanding lap of 1:52.624s, which remained unbeatable for the rest of the field. This strong performance put Martin, the 2023 vice-champion, on the front foot for the start of the 2024 season.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro finished second in FP1, just 0.047s behind Martin, while Acosta held on for an impressive third place, less than a tenth-of-a-second off the pace. Marc Marquez took fourth on his Gresini Ducati, followed by Brad Binder in fifth, the first rider to break the 1:53s barrier. Johann Zarco was sixth for LCR Honda, just 0.303s behind Martin.
Enea Bastianini finished seventh, with Fabio Di Gianantonio in eighth for VR46 Ducati. Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia completed the top ten for the factory KTM team. The reigning world champion, Fabio Quartararo, had a difficult session, finishing 19th, while Alex Rins was the fastest Yamaha rider in 15th place.
The new Trackhouse Aprilia team made their MotoGP debut, with Miguel Oliveira leading their charge in 12th place on the 2024 RS-GP. Raul Fernandez was close behind in 14th on the 2023-specification machine.