MotoGP riders reflect on opening day of practice at Lusail – Moto2/3 Reports/Results

MotoGP 2025

Round Four – Lusail – Qatar – Friday

Franco Morbidelli – P1

“Great start of the weekend, I felt really good with the bike straight away this afternoon. We had some problems during the start of the second session, but then we were able to be very quick with new tyres, so I am really happy. There is some work to do to be more consistent with the soft tyre but also with the medium, because in the beginning I couldn’t use it properly. I talked to Valentino right after both sessions, we can feel he is in the garage, his advice is like gold to us. It’s good to start the weekend in this way with him here in Lusail. We started well and we need to continue like this. The team made a great job today, for sure, tomorrow the grip is gonna be different and it’s gonna be hotter than today. But the goal for Saturday is to fight for the front row and to be prepared for the Sprint.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P2

“It was the best Friday of the year so far, as well as the best day overall regarding the feeling with the bike. I’m happy: we worked really well and made a further step forward between the two sessions. I must say that this track suits my style well, which obviously helps; today I was able to do what I wanted without overdoing it, and that’s something that happens when everything is under control. In any case, it’s too soon to see where we’re really at.”

Marc Márquez – P3

“Today was super. I’m very happy, considering the track. I was expecting a bigger gap from Pecco and Alex (Márquez), as they’re usually very quick here. We started off well and I felt comfortable, even more so with used tyres rather than fresh ones. At the moment, I’m lapping on my own and trying to tweak my riding here and there, as this track doesn’t necessarily suit my style. We had a good start, so let’s wait and see what the next two days will bring.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P4

“I am enjoying the weekend so far, this morning we did a super job because we were pretty fast, and this afternoon we were able to improve a little bit. Honestly, I am not super happy with my feeling with the bike, I think we have margin to improve, because we tried many things in the afternoon. Apart of this, I am happy because despite these problems we were there and not so far, I think we can do a really good job tomorrow even if there will be a nice fight, like a proper boxing fight in terms of lap times. It seems that many Ducati riders have the chance to be in pole. You will have fun.”

Alex Marquez – P5

“It was a very positive day. It’s hard to come to conclusions about the afternoon as the track was still a bit strange, but we did make a step forward. We’re not at our best yet with regards to the time attack, also due to a yellow flag situation. The feeling is positive, but it’ll be important to have a very clean lap tomorrow in order to get a good starting position.”

Fabio Quartararo – P6

“The second time attack was way better than the first one. I knew that I had to push to the limit to be there, and to be honest, the lap time was better than I expected. It was really great to feel good at that speed. We have a margin to improve, especially in sector 2 and 3, so that’s what we will work on for tomorrow. We are okay on one lap, and we got a positive result today. We’ll think about the pace tonight and tomorrow. But today I’m happy with my one lap.”

Maverick Viñales – P8

“I am happy with today’s work. Every time I jump on the bike, we are feeling better, we are taking a step forward, and I enjoy it more and more! We still have a gap to the faster riders, but I feel like we are closing it progressively. Following the Argentinian Grand Prix, we found something that allowed me to have a better balance on the bike, so we have worked around this set up which seems to work good for us. I expect to be more competitive in the Sprint than in qualifying tomorrow, but let’s see how it goes. We don’t want to set a limit for ourselves, we will continue giving our maximum and see where we stand. The most important thing is to trust the process, keep believing that we can arrive at the top. It is going well for now, faster than I thought, so let’s just keep going.”

Fermin Aldeguer – P9

“It was surely the best Friday of the year. Compared to Austin, today we didn’t make the most of the unusual conditions. We were fast from the get-go and the feeling with the bike now has a base, so we’re not starting from scratch anymore. We’re competitive, even though we still lack a bit of confidence… but we need more track time for that.”

Johann Zarco – P10

“I’m really happy. That last lap was amazing and thrilling. I could feel that the soft rear tyre had something extra to give over one lap. I made a mistake on my first attempt but nailed it on the second. We’ve improved the bike’s control, and this track gives us a lot of grip. It feels like we have more potential than we did last year. We’ve made a big step forward today.”

Alex Rins – P11

“0.03s – it was so close! But we gave it our best and pushed the bike to the maximum. I’m using a different chassis this Friday, which Yamaha had brought to Sepang earlier and have since improved. We found a good set-up from the beginning, and I feel quite good. We are going at our 100%, especially with the tyres. At this track you have to manage the tyres until the end of the race. I don’t know if we are going to do the Sprint with the soft, because the drop is massive.”

Luca Marini – P12

“I think today was quite positive, we improved throughout the course of the day. We missed Q2 by just a tenth, so we will have to fight in Q1 like in Austin. There’s not a lot of grip here and that’s something that makes everything a bit more complicated for us, but even like this we have been able to make good progress and there is already a plan to make another step in the morning. Here, your position on track with the other riders and the aero can make quite a difference so we need to pay attention to this tomorrow in Q1 as well.”

Joan Mir – P13

“We started the sessions today very well and I was able to improve my time with each exit. When it came to do the time attack, we were missing a little something compared to the other tracks. There is some margin to improve in the fast corners for tomorrow, it’s important to improve in this area because this is where you make the time at this track. I think there is more work to do here than in our previous races, but I think we can put a better lap together in Q1.”

Ai Ogura – P15

“In the last session I was really enjoying riding here under the lights on a MotoGP bike. I think it was not a great first day for us, but we know where to improve and for tomorrow I believe we have some solutions. In some places, I easily loose two or three tenths, which is not even really in a corner, but almost straight so, I think, if I find something there, it should be quite easy to gain another two or three tenths and hopefully we can improve that for tomorrow.”

Enea Bastianini – P16

“Today was below our expectations to be honest, the feeling on the bike has not been great and we have felt again a lot of vibrations at the front, which is still a big problem that we need to fix. We are normally fast here in Doha, so of course I am disappointed, but it is important to see both Maverick (Viñales) and Pedro (Acosta) fast on one lap. The work continues for us, we have been able to understand where we need to improve, so let’s do that, and arrive on Saturday in a better shape.”

Jack Miller – P17

“Not an easy day overall. In general, the bike was working alright. The crash in the morning was my fault—I was just a bit too greedy. In Austin, we made some setup changes — raised the front a fair bit, changed positions and so on — and we tried to carry that over here to see how it would work. In the evening, we went back to what I‘d call a more normal base setup, and the bike was working really well. I felt confident. On the first flying lap, I went a little deep into Turn 10, and in the change of direction I missed the line slightly. Still, I was confident going out on the second tire — I had a really clean first sector. But I carried just a bit too much speed out of Turn 6, got a bit of a wheelie, and when the bike came back down, it shook a bit. I went in full commitment on the brakes, trying to keep that momentum into the next corner, but I asked a little too much of the front and down I went. So we‘re going into Q1 tomorrow and we‘ll try our luck there. Honestly, I felt good about my chances of going straight through today — we just didn‘t manage to put it all together. We‘ll try again tomorrow.”

Raul Fernandez – P18

“We made a good job today – I’m really happy. I found what I wanted; I was calm, I was fast, I enjoyed myself on the bike, I was competitive and almost all the practice in the top 10, or top 11, so very close to go to Q2. In the last stint, I tried to use a new front tyre with the other (spare) bike, but it didn’t work well. We need to analyze what the reason for that was but, anyway, the day was positive, I feel comfortable and happy with my work. We will see how we can improve the bike for tomorrow because so far, we are not very competitive here. Last year, this wasn’t a bad track for Aprilia and I don’t know why we are struggling quite a lot now. We have to see how we can improve the bike because I feel this year’s RS-GP overall has better potential.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P19

“Overall, the day was a bit difficult. I struggled because we have big problems with instability here, so I’m unable to brake hard. This is a problem that we’ve been having pretty much everywhere, but on this track we are feeling it even more. I need to try and be more fluid, but that’s a bit complicated at the moment. We’ll analyse all the data thoroughly now and try to see where we can improve. Jorge, for example, has been consistently rather strong in his time-attacks, so he’ll be able to give us an important hand.”

Jorge Martin – P20

“The primary goal is to test my physical condition. I managed to ride in the afternoon and, most importantly, I noticed good physical improvement in the evening. I shaved off a few tenths on every run, although I am still lacking consistency riding a MotoGP bike. It was a bit like the first day of school for me. I was nervous, but that’s only normal – it means that I’m finally back on the track. Today was also useful to see what areas we need to work on with the RS-GP25. It will be a long road, but we’ll keep working with the same commitment.”

Augusto Fernandez – P21

“Today was a proper test day for me. We tried a lot of things, and with more consistent track time compared to Austin, it was really helpful to get more laps in, build my rhythm, and also experiment a bit. It was a productive day, we discovered a few things and took small steps toward understanding which direction we need to take. As for me personally, I‘m working on being fast and finding a bit more pace. I’m getting closer with the lap times to being competitive again and catching up to the group. It‘ll take a bit of time, but overall, it was a positive day. The crash? It happened because we have such strong front-end performance that we‘re braking extremely hard and when you‘re riding that close to the limit, it doesn‘t take much to go over it.”

Somkiat Chantra – P22

“Today was a solid day, even though I had a crash and saved a big one while pushing. From the morning to the afternoon, I started to feel more comfortable on the bike. I still need to improve my corner entry at this circuit, I have to adapt better. I’m going over the data to come back stronger tomorrow.”

Team Managers

Davide Brivio – Tech3 Aprilia Team Manager

“We didn’t get into Q2 with Ai or Raul today, but somehow we did a good job that we can hopefully bring forward into tomorrow. Ai had a couple of points in the track where we think he can improve. Raul worked well but then had a small issue on the bike he used on the last run, so he couldn’t capitalize. But there is the potential to improve this position tomorrow. Also, both had yellow flags during the time attack, just like many other riders. Let’s try to work with this information tonight, try to improve the points tomorrow and we go for a time attack again in Q1.”

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“We really had to push as a team to start the Qatar GP off right. Previously, we came here earlier in the year when the temperatures are lower. Today, we were surprised that despite it being hot and dusty, the track was quite grippy. Overall, we had a good day. Fabio did a very good last time-attack run and secured a place for Q2, which was our objective for both riders. Álex came very close too, missing out on a top-10 result by only 0.03s after the chequered flag had come out. Tonight and tomorrow morning, our work will be focused on preparing for qualifying. It will be crucial to start the Sprint and the Race as much towards the front as possible.”

Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“It definitely wasn‘t an easy Friday, with Jack suffering two crashes. Of the two, the first one especially wasn‘t his fault. But we know Jack—he always tries to give it everything, even when something isn‘t working quite right, because that‘s just his racing style. It‘s the first tough Friday we‘ve had since the start of the season, but there‘s no real cause for concern. Even a day like this helped us understand several things. It‘s a shame about the second crash, because he could definitely have improved, and even Jack was much happier with the bike. The performance was back to our usual standards. Let‘s see what happens tomorrow—maybe this isn‘t the track that best suits his riding style, but there‘s still time to work and make progress. Augusto also did a solid job. Finishing just 1”5 seconds behind the leaders, given how little experience he has with the team and the bike, is a result we can be proud of. He‘s continuing to improve, and that‘s what really matters. Even if his position on the timesheets might suggest otherwise, you have to look at the lap times and the gaps to understand the full picture.”

Paolo Bonora – Aprilia Racing

“It was a complicated Friday. Marco started the day off well, but unfortunately in the practice session he was unable to find the same feeling. We need to keep working on the time-attack to take a step forward already on Friday. It’s great to see Jorge back on the bike. Returning to the track after months of down time and doing it on a race weekend is anything but simple, especially when you consider that he is still not at 100% fitness, but Jorge is doing it with the right attitude and with great determination.”

MotoGP Practice Report

At late lap from Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) saw the Italian oust compatriot Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) under lights at the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar on Friday.

Marc Marquez ensured two Ducati Lenovo Team machines were in the top three, as World Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) makes his much-anticipated return to MotoGP action – and thankfully, it was a trouble-free day for the #1.

As time attack crunch time neared, Alex Marquez led the way with a 1:51.704 with the top three, including Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, split by 0.092s. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was enjoying himself in the first 40 minutes, the Spaniard was fourth quickest ahead of the two Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team riders – Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

With 15 minutes to go, the first fresh soft Michelin rubber lap times were starting to come in. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) stuck their YZR-M1s into the top 10 before the goalposts were moved significantly – first by Morbidelli, then by Bagnaia. The latter’s first attack was a 1:50.975, 0.2s clear of his fellow Italian, as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) leapt to P3 ahead of Viñales.

That didn’t last long though. Di Giannantonio jumped to P3 before Marc Marquez moved his way into P2, 0.022s shy of Bagnaia. Then, after a slight lull in proceedings, we strapped in for the final flurry of rapid laps around Lusail on Friday.

Quartararo was a big mover. The 2021 World Champion ascended to P5 from outside the top 10, but that was quickly P6 as Di Giannantonio improved his PB to go to P3. Miller then crashed for the second time today, Turn 7 bit the Aussie, so that brought out the yellow flags.

That meant a lot of riders had one go at a final throw of the Practice dice. One of them was Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), the rookie rose to P9, as Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) landed a last gasp lap to pinch a Q2 place away from Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).

Austin podium finisher Di Giannantonio heads into Saturday fourth behind the leading trio, with Championship leader Alex Marquez 0.4s away from Morbidelli’s pace in P5. That aforementioned top-class lap from Quartararo means ‘El Diablo’ doesn’t have to worry about Q2, the Yamaha star was sixth fastest ahead of Acosta, Viñales, Aldeguer and Zarco.

A nasty crash at Turn 7, just minutes before the end of the Practice session, cut short what had been an impressive run for Jack Miller. The Australian had just set his personal best in Sector 1, indicating a promising lap. Unfortunately, the fall eliminated any chance of finishing among the top ten and securing a direct spot in Q2, which will determine tomorrow‘s pole position. Adding to the difficulty, Miller is currently battling a bout of food poisoning, leaving him far from peak physical condition. He had already suffered another crash at Turn 4 during the first Free Practice session. Despite these setbacks, Miller — well known for his qualifying speed — will aim to claim one of the two transfer spots in Q1.

Unsurprisingly given the circumstances, Martin will be facing Q1 – but that’s far from the point. 20 laps were completed on Friday evening for the reigning Champion and to be 1.5s away from top spot signals a decent first day back in the new office was had. It was great to see the 2024 title winner back, now let’s see if Martin can mount a top two attack in Q1 on Saturday…

MotoGP Lusail Practice Times

Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) snatched top spot with a late lap in Moto2 Practice, seeing the Spaniard back at the summit after an Americas GP to forget. Gonzalez rocketed to P1 to finish ahead of Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) who was also able to move up to take P2. Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was P1 going into the final five minutes but was relegated to P3, but still managed to come away with one of his best results of his rookie season. Completing the top four is Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who improved to be just less than a tenth away from top spot.

Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) was the long-time leader but took the chequered flag to claim P5 and like Holgado, put in one of his best performances of the year. Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) was sixth and another rider who impressed, ahead of Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO) and Marcos Ramirez (American Racing Team), with the Spaniard a late improver. David Alonso (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) goes into Q2 directly for the first time in his rookie Moto2 campaign with P9 whilst there was late drama for Championship leader Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) who crashed in the closing stages at Turn 15 but was able to walk away OK; he rounded out the top ten.

Scraping through into the top 14, Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun), Adrian Huertas (Italtrans Racing Team), Mario Aji (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Darryn Binder (ITALJET Gresini Moto2) complete the order for the riders who managed to avoid Q1. Major names without the same advantage include Senna Agius (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), the duo were 17th and 18th.

Moto2 Practice Times

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) shone under the night lights of Lusail on Friday to lay an early Moto3 gauntlet down. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) was the Championship leader’s closest challenger in P2, the gap between the Spaniard and Japanese riders sitting at 0.244s, as Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) completed the top three.

A late crash for Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) following contact with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) didn’t cost the Italian a place in Q2, the experienced Foggia was fourth fastest on Friday evening, but Fernandez wasn’t able to find a time good enough for a top 14 spot. The #31 finished P16 as both Leopard Hondas find themselves in Q1 – David Almansa ending the day in P17.

Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounded out the fastest five, rookies Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) sail into Q2, with Tatchakorn Buasri (Honda Team Asia) grabbing a late P14 to earn his first automatic Q2 place.

Joel Kelso made the cut in 13th place while countryman Jacob Roulstone just missed out in 15th.

Joel Kelso – P13

“Overall, it was a very good day. In the first session we focussed on getting familiar with the track, as conditions here in Qatar are always quite tricky, especially in FP1. Later, in P1, we kept working on our race pace, using the hardest compound to prepare for Sunday’s challenge. I feel confident. Tomorrow, with the soft tyre, the time attack will allow us to show our real potential. We’ve started the weekend well, and I’m sure we still have room to improve tomorrow.”

Jacob Roulstone – P15

“I am extremely gutted for not making the cut to Q2, I was almost qualified until being knocked out at the last minute, meaning we have no reward for the work done today. However, we have to remind ourselves that we are just on our second round of the season, so I am still catching back on the pace. I am confident that with a bit more time on track, we will be back where we can be, because I felt quite ok overall!”

Moto3 Practice Times

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar