Francesco Bagnaia, Qatar MotoGP test, 20 February
Francesco Bagnaia, Qatar MotoGP test, 20 February

2024 Qatar MotoGP - Friday Practice - LIVE UPDATES!

The 2024 MotoGP season gets underway with Friday Practice in Qatar.

Because of wet w💛eather, it was confirmed: "Practice 2 has become FP2 and times will not count towards Q2, instead that session will now be Saturday morning. This evenings session is also reduced from an hour down to 45 minutes."

Jorge Martin went fastest in th💦e first sessionജ on Friday.

Taking place on day-one of the Qatar round is the official Ducati deb🅠ut for Marc Marquez, while Pedro Acosta also gets his premier class career off and running with KT💦M.

The Ducati GP24 trio of Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini and Jorge Ma༒rtin are widely tipped to be at the front this weekend.

Who will challenge them? April𝓰ia and KTM are the factories determined to fight the dominant Ducatis.

For Yamaha and Hond🐬a, the Qatar MotoGP is the first step in their recovery.

17:55
Marc Marquez top in FP2

That's a wrap in FP2 at the Qatar MotoGP as Marc Marquez leads the way ahead of A. Fernandez, Acosta, Miller a🥂nd B𝐆rad Binder.

17:52

Acosta is off circuit and inಌ the gravel at turn one after getting caught o☂ut under braking. It was not a crash for the rookie. 

17:42

It's raining again! This i🎶s incredible stuff as a dry weekend was fo🅠recast. 

17:41
Marc Marquez is proving tough to beat as FP2 enters the final 15 minutes

Marc Marquez still leads the way from the t♕wo GASGAS Tech 3 KTM riders. 

17:36

KTM's stranglehold on top spot i🌌s broken and it's Marc Marquez who goes fastest. 

17:28

Scrap tha🌠t, the GASGAS Tech 3 duo have gone quicker with Fernandez ahead of Acosta🐼.

17:28

One of the best riders in𓄧 tricky conditions, Miller has now gone fastest ahead of Acosta. Mill🧜er's time is a 2:07.263s.

17:26

Marc Marquez breaks up KTM's dominance at the front as he goes thi🐠rd, splitting Fernandez and Miller. 

17:24

He's doing it again - dry or wetꦡ - Pedro Acosta is currently fastest fo൲r KTM.

17:20

Lap times are still way off thaജt of FP1 as Aug🅷usto Fernandez leads the way currently. 

17:15

The rain has sto𓆏ppe𝄹d but the track remains very wet. 

17:12

FP2 is un🏅der❀way in Qatar. Again, lap times will not count in this session towards Q2. 

17:10

Update: Practice 2 has become FP2 and times will not count towards Q2, instead that session will now be Saturday morning. This evenings session is also redꦅuced from an hour down to 45 minutes.

17:00
Spray

You can really see how the wet track is affecting things during the current sﷺession.

Moto2 practice is ending right now.

Which means the MotoGP session is coming up.

But which riders wil🍌l be suited to the wet? And how does it change plans for teams throughout the weekend?

16:50
New start time

A 10-minute de🌊lay expecte🐠d for MotoGP Practice due to the weather.

That's 5.10pm UK / 8.10pm local

16:38
It's raining! Who expected that?

Full details here

16:29

In fact, Practice 2 will take a bit longer to get started fဣol👍lowing a delay in the Moto3 sessions. There has also been very, very heavy rain.

16:27

After topping FP1, can Jorge Martin keep his place atop the practice leaderboard? Second practice where the top ten ridꦅers will advance directly to Q2 begins in just over 30 minutes. 

13:33
That's it for FP1 as Jorge Martin leads the way

Martin top🎃s FP1 ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Acosta. Marc Marquez finishes fourth with Binder fifth fastest.&nbs𓆏p;

13:28

Martꦉin will not be denied aꦆs he goes quickest once again.

13:27

Big moment for Acos💟ta as he loses the front-end at turn one before saving it. 🎀;

13:27
Acosta leads from Marc Marquez heading into the final stages

Ma♎rc Marquez splits the KTM's as he goes ♍second behind Acosta!

13:24

This is brilliant stuff from Acosta as he goes nearly two tenths clear ꦰof Binder with seven minutes to go.