2022 Qatar MotoGP, Lusail International Circuit - Warm-up Results
Debut front row qualifier Enea Bastianini underlined his potential for this evening's 2022 MotoGP seaso✤n-opener in Qatar by leading warm-up at Lusail.
The Gresini GP21 rider𝔉, sta𝓡rting second behind Pramac Ducati's Jorge Martin (GP22), used a soft front and medium rear to lap 0.0.96s clear of Martin's team-mate Johann Zarco.
Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, KTM's Miguel Oliveira, Yamaha's reigning champion Fabio Quartararo - who has qualified jus🅠t eleventh - and Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia completed the top six covered by ♔0.363s.
Marc Marquez and Bagnaia spent several laps together, each following t🦋he other as they sized up their relative strengths.
But Marquez, who will start from third, then lost the 💟front of his Repsol Honda and fell at turn 10 (his first fall of the weekend) while chasing the Ducati rider.
Marquez's team-mate Pol Espargaro then produced a big save when he lost the front at turn six, while Raul Fernandez also lost the front of his Tech3 KTM and fell at turn 4 while chasing a group of riders ahea🐎d. Fellow rookie Fabio di Giannantonio dropped his Gresini Ducati at turn one.
Many riders face a difficult choice between soft or medium tyres for this evening's night race, but this afternoon's warm-up took place𒁃 in much hotter conditions, prompting some to use hard front tyres in combination with a soft or medium rear.
Unlike in previous years, there has been no pre-꧋season testing at the circuit, meaning teams and riders came into the event without any track data since last year's Doha double.
The race 🏅start t🧸ime has also been moved forwards, to 18:00, shortly after sunset.
ꩲYamaha took victory 🐷in both of last year's races courtesy of a win each for Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo.
| Qatar MotoGP, Lusail - Warm-up Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max (km/h) |
| 1 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 1'54.519s | 4/10 | 351k |
| 2 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.096s | 10/11 | 353k |
| 3 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.236s | 8/10 | 353k |
| 4 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.247s | 4/10 | 345k |
| 5 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.262s | 3/10 | 343k |
| 6 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.363s | 7/10 | 348k |
| 7 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.378s | 3/9 | 351k |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.409s | 6/10 | 343k |
| 9 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.421s | 6/10 | 350k |
| 10 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.473s | 4/11 | 353k |
| 11 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.549s | 6/10 | 346k |
| 12 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.688s | 8/10 | 350k |
| 13 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.785s | 5/11 | 350k |
| 14 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.794s | 7/10 | 348k |
| 15 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.847s | 4/9 | 351k |
| 16 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.860s | 6/9 | 346k |
| 17 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +0.889s | 5/6 | 344k |
| 18 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | +0.902s | 2/10 | 353k |
| 19 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | +0.949s | 9/9 | 348k |
| 20 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.995s | 9/10 | 345k |
| 21 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +1.060s | 8/10 | 346k |
| 22 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | +1.143s | 10/10 | 344k |
| 23 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.361s | 8/9 | 346k |
| 24 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | +2.192s | 6/10 | 346k |
* Rookie
Pole position time:
Jorge Martin SPA Ducati 1m 53.011s
Official Qatar MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 52.772s (2021)
Fastest race lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 54.491s (2021)
Peter has been in the paddock for🌸 20 years anඣd has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.