'DesmoDovi' started 2018 in the driving seat

Preseason dark horse Rins completed the top three

Stunning Friday action as one second splits the top 14 under the floodlights
 

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) started his Grand Prix of Qatar in the best possible way as the Italian ended Friday at the top of the timing screens, stunning his rivals with a lap time of 1.54.361 to put him just 0.006s ahead. It was the perfect test for race pace in the second session of 2018 for MotoGP™, as bikes take to the track at the same time as the lights will go out for the race to put track conditions to the most realistic test.

Fellow Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) completed the day as top independent rider in second position, as he set his time with three minutes remaining and only beaten by his compatriot. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) broke the Ducati dominance in P3, sitting 0.097s behind Dovizioso after a strong session and leading the way in the final ten minutes. Rins was also the first rider to break into the 1:54bracket.

The most successful  rider at the venue, Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), secured fourth position overall around Losail, and his time of 1.54.831 was set following a busy start to his session as his Ducati caused sparks to fly on the home straight. Italian Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) wasn’t far behind his teammate Rins in fifth with a lap of 1.54.841, with reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ending the day in sixth position just 0.001 ahead of his teammate Dani Pedrosa.

Honda’s Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) sits in eighth as the second of the Independent team runners to go just ahead of ninth placed Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who was unable to blast in a fast lap at the end of the session. Frenchman and 2017 Rookie of the Year Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) rounds out the top ten on Friday in Qatar, with just half a second splitting the men provisionally into Q2 on Saturday. As yet, 2017 Qatar GP winner Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is in eleventh on the combined timesheets.

The fastest rookie was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), with the Japanese rider taking back that honour after impressing in testing but getting edged out in the #QatarTest.

Don’t miss a minute of the #QatarGP as the Championship builds up to the much-anticipated first race of the 2018 season. FP3 kicks off at 12.40 local time (GMT +3) ahead of the fight for pole at 19:20, with the lights going out for the race on Sundayat 19:00.

2014 Moto3™ Champion Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) started his season in perfect form by ending Day 1 in Qatar on top of the timesheets,  just 0.038 in front of the returning Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) and 0.053 ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46), with all three gunning for the title this year. That made it Kalex-KTM-Kalex, with the battle hotting up already.

Following a more difficult campaign last season for Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) - including mid-season injury - 2018 has started far better for the German as he concluded the day fourth quickest, with the fastest man in Free Practice 1, Lorenzo Baldassari (Pons HP40), close behind to complete the top five. 

Expected title contender and three-in-a-row 2017 winner Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took P6, ahead of Isaac Viñales (SAG Team), Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and fastest rookie Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers). Reigning Moto3™ World Champion and fellow rookie Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took P13 after missing the final preseason test through injury.

Moto2™ go qualifying at 17:40 local time (GMT +3).

Jorge Martín: nine poles in 2017 and on top to begin the new year

Argentina’s Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) got off to a good start, finishing fourth on the combined standings on his KTM. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Andrea Migno (Angel Nieto Team) completed the top six, with Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) on top form with his new team as he took P7. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing), Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Philipp Oettl (Suedmetall Schedl GP Racing) locked out the fastest ten men on Day 1.

Unfortunately, it was a short weekend in Doha for Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) with the Japanese rider crashing in FP1 and fracturing his right forearm. He has been declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend.