MotoGP Round One | Bagnaia back on top

The Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar had it all. On Sunday, it was reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia whose performance laid down the gauntlet, with the #1 bouncing back from a Tissot Sprint off the podium to a perfectly-poised first Grand Prix win of the season. Report: Ed Stratham/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP – Rain? In Qatar? You read that right, sometimes it even rains in the desert. The heavens opened on Friday evening, meaning Day One’s usual Q2-deciding Practice session was switched with Free Practice 2. But there were no less headlines to enjoy from an entertaining Friday of action.

Check out our other race news, including MotoGP, here…

In the full dry a familiar name came out on top in FP1: 2023 silver medallist Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). Compatriot Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was less than a tenth shy of Martin in P2 to further signal he’s getting on very well with the 2024-spec RS-GP. And then came rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), meanwhile, took fourth in the dry FP1. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounded out a top five that was split by just 0.265s, with Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) also impressing on his debut with a different factory in P6, heading the Honda charge.

Rain? In Qatar? You read that right, sometimes it even rains in the desert. In the end, Friday was cancelled.

So on to the wet, and it was Marc Marquez who topped the 45-minute session with a 2:06.544, with the eight-time World Champion finishing ahead of Red Bull KTM GASGAS Tech3 sophomore Augusto Fernandez, who impressed. But then came Pedro. Despite the completely different conditions, Acosta made it a double set of P3s on Friday. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) headed the first grid of the year, as the 2023 runner-up set a magical 1:50.789 in qualifying to take pole, becoming the fastest rider ever to lap the Lusail International Circuit. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was just 0.083 behind, with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounding out the front row only another 0.003 back.

Espargaro was another who looked to be challenging Martin at the top but he ultimately jumped into second, losing out by less than a tenth, as Bastianini held onto a first front row of the year in third.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) took the opening pole position of the year,

Moto2 – Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) took the opening pole position of the year, heading Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) on the front row as the top Boscoscuro machine. His teammate Fermin Aldeguer, a title favourite, qualified seventh but then got a three-place grid penalty for holding up another rider in Q2. That rider was actually Albert Arenas, and he ultimately completed the front row on the Triumph-powered QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™️ bike.

Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) went on to claim pole position for the opening Grand Prix

Moto3 – After Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) topped the very first session of the season (Free Practice), the first Q2-timed session for the class saw Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) come out on top with a new lap record: a mighty 2’03.606. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) went on to claim pole position for the opening Grand Prix after setting a remarkable 2:02.276 to underline his pace this season. The Spaniard’s impressive lap time put him 0.265 clear of Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI), with only another 0.055 back to Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Check out the full Practice and Qualifying results here…

Saturday
Tissot Sprint
Jorge Martin started 2024 with a statement ride as the number 89 shot out the blocks to take the first Tissot Sprint win of the year. Harried all the way home by Brad Binder, Martin held firm under pressure for Sprint win 10 of his career.

Binder had his own pressure right to the flag too, with Aleix Espargaro battling past both Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez on his way to taking third, right on the KTM’s tail and making it three factories on the first rostrum of the season. Binder had a storming start up from fourth to tag onto the back of Martin immediately. Espargaro lost out initially from his P2 on the grid but then started to pull it back, taking fourth from Enea Bastianini and then third place back from Bagnaia.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez and Gresini teammate Alex Marquez were in the thick of the battle with Fabio Di Giannantonio. Eventually, Marc Marquez was able to make it stick and headed off in pursuit of Bastianini on the rear of the front group, and not too long after that Diggia was sadly out of the battle after a strange and initially dramatic crash, but he was thankfully okay. At the front, Martin rolled on. But he wasn’t getting away. Binder was still very much in touch, and Bagnaia was on the move too as he dispatched Espargaro to move into third.

With five laps to go, the eight-time World Champion was attacking Espargaro and passed him at the end of the straight, as Martin had the hammer down at the front. But there was still no breakaway from the number 89. The chasers responded, with Binder hanging in there ahead of Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Espargaro. A moment for Marc Marquez, capitalised on by Espargaro as the Aprilia struck again, narrowed that gap to Bastianini, however. And that was key for the final lap battle, with Espargaro able to keep pushing, and then hone in on the leading trio. It was a four-rider battle for the podium with two to go.

The penultimate lap saw the Aprilia take on Bagnaia, but the reigning Champion cut back as Espargaro sailed wide. But onto the main straight the #41 then made it stick and did enough to hold onto third into Turn 1, now with the next target locked on: Binder. The KTM was chasing Martin, but a new problem was carving up the gap to tuck right onto his tail.

Espargaro ate through the metres enough to almost give himself striking distance by the final corner, but it was just that bit too far for a move. Martin crossed the line for a statement tenth Sprint win to start the season, with Binder taking second and Espargaro forced to settle for third.

Reigning Champion Bagnaia likewise had to settle, in his case for fourth, with Marc Marquez next up.

“It was a great weekend. I think we demonstrated the speed that we had. When we have the bike at 100 per cent we can be unbeatable,” said Martin.

Tissot Sprint Race

Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati
Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+0.548s)
Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing (+0.729s)
Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+1.625s)
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+1.872s)

Check out the full Tissot Sprint results here…

Sunday
MotoGP was finally back in action, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) dominating proceedings to win the opening Grand Prix of the season and take the title lead. The Italian came across the line ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who finished one second behind. Joining them on the podium was last year’s runner-up, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) in a solid result for the Spaniard.

It was a delayed start to the race after Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) had a technical issue on the grid. The Spaniard’s Aprilia was pushed into the pitlane with a new race distance of 21 laps.

Once the lights went out, Jorge Martin made a great start to the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, leading the way into turn one. Brad Binder exited turn one in second, before reigning World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia took the position from him, claiming the race lead. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at turn one, losing the front on the second lap of the race.

The fastest lap of the race went the way of rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) who looked confident in the opening stage of the race – setting a new race lap record. Acosta made his way into sixth, passing Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini. Bagnaia bridged a three-tenth of a second gap, forcing Martin to pass Binder to reclaim second place. The South African fought back before Martin responded on the entry to turn one, in a thrilling battle for second position.

Pre-race favourite, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) started the race in second position but would drop to ninth. The Spaniard was battling with last year’s winner, Di Giannantonio throughout the race. As the race progressed Bagnaia stretched his gap to over one second, with a group of four now battling for second. The race hit lap 11 – the distance of Saturday’s Sprint – with the questions about tyre life beginning.

Pedro Acosta continued to show his talent, launching a move down the inside on lap 12, passing Marc Marquez. However, Acosta’s rear tyre began to step out, running wide and allowing Marc Marquez back into fourth. Acosta fell further down the field with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Enea Bastianini overtaking the rookie, as he eventually finished ninth.

The race was now on for the lead to see if Binder could respond to Bagnaia’s one-second advantage. However, the smooth style of Bagnaia looked strong, and with no mistakes from the reigning World Champion, he would come across the line to win.

LtoR: Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+1.329s), Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo, Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.933s)

Behind the front three, Marc Marquez showed great pace throughout the race, starting strongly with Ducati. Behind the #93 was Enea Bastianini who fought his way into fifth, finishing ahead of Alex Marquez in sixth.

“It’s always important to win the race and not commit any mistakes. I want to enjoy everything and improve every time,” explained Bagnaia.

MotoGP Race

Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo
Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+1.329s)
Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.933s)
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+3.429s)
Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+5.153s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 31 points
Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+1.329s) – 29 points
Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.933s) – 28 points
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+3.429s) – 18 points
Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+5.153s) – 15 points

Moto2
Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) won the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar in a new era for Moto2™ as the Championship completed its first race with Pirelli tyres. Lopez defended from Barry Baltus (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) who finished just 0.055 behind after an epic battle. Sergio Garcia took his Triumph-powered MT Helmets – MSI machine to join them for his first-ever Moto2™ podium.

The lights went out and polesitter Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) had a bad start, allowing Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) to lead on the entry to turn one. Lopez led from both QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™ riders of Manuel Gonzalez and Albert Arenas. Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) also struggled in the opening stage of the race, dropping down to 13th position.

Aron Canet fought back after dropping down to eighth place to lead the field on lap three of the race. Canet set the fastest lap in the process, trying to stretch the field in an attempt to win his first Moto2™ Grand Prix. Lopez and Gonzalez eventually caught and passed the #44 machine, allowing the lead group to grow to three riders once again. Ayumu Sasaki (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) was the first faller of the race, crashing out of their debut Moto2™ race at turn one.

The race continued to rage on, with Barry Baltus managing to catch the back of Canet, putting the #7 machine in podium contention. Baltus made the move at the end of lap eight and began to pull away from the pole sitter. The Belgian then battled into second position in a fierce move on Gonzalez to set his sights on the lead.

All the moves at the front of the field allowed Garcia and Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) to join the brilliant battle, with the Japanese rider making a heroic move on Gonzalez for fourth place.

LtoR: Barry Baltus RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP (35m 45.650s), Alonso Lopez Sync SpeedUp, Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI (35m 46.337s)

It was an unbelievable end to the race, with three bikes battling for the lead with only three laps remaining. Baltus looked to make a move on Lopez but could not find a way through due to the Spaniard’s incredible defending, which allowed the SpeedUp rider to win. While it was delight for Lopez, his teammate and title favourite Aldeguer was outside of the points, finishing in 16th position.

Ai Ogura came home to finish in fourth position, in a great first race with the MT Helmets – MSI Team. Manuel Gonzalez rounded out the top five.

Moto2 Race

Alonso Lopez Sync SpeedUp
Barry Baltus RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP (35m 45.650s)
Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI (35m 46.337s)
Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI (35m 47.109s)
Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (35m 50.695s)

Check out the full Moto2 results here…

Moto2 Championship Points

Alonso Lopez Sync SpeedUp – 25 points
Barry Baltus RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP – 20 points
Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI – 16 points
Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI – 13 points
Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 – 11 points

Moto3
David Alonso (CFMOTO Aspar Team) won the opening race of the season after a thrilling move on the entry to the last corner. Alonso won by just 0.041 from Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), who was strong throughout the whole race. Joining them on the podium was Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), after battling his way through the field to a remarkable podium finish.

There was drama before the race started with David Muñoz stalling the BOE Motorsports’ bike on the grid, forcing the Spaniard to start from the pitlane. However, once the lights went out, it was polesitter Daniel Holgado who led into turn one, ahead of Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) in a tight Moto3™ field.

It was just a 16-lap race with passes getting made at every corner, in a thrilling start to the Moto3™ season. Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) was the rider on the move early on, making his way briefly into second and as the top Honda. However, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) battled back, before the #99 passed Holgado to take the race lead. On lap three of the race Rueda lost the rear, collecting Ortola at turn one. This incident promoted David Alonso to second place, ahead of Fernandez.

The lead group was 11 riders long with all manufacturers in the mix, in a nail-biting opening Grand Prix of the season. Positions within the group were constantly changing, with Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) being the next rider to battle up the order from 10th to fourth position. Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) were the next riders to go down, after a highside from Farioli on lap six of the race.

Another rider who was beginning to make moves was Japanese rider Taiyo Furusato who battled to fifth after starting from 18th position. Furusato quickly made his way into the podium positions before making a stunning move to take the lead. Holgado and Furusato had a pulsating battle, with the Japanese rider making a mistake, dropping down to fourth position. This allowed the #80 Alonso to begin his attack for the lead with a handful of laps remaining. Alonso briefly took the race lead into turn one before Holgado reclaimed his throne.

Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) had a big crash after running off the edge of the curb, bringing a premature end to his race. As the sun began to set in Doha, it all went down to the final lap of the race with Holgado leading in front of Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power). However, it did not stay like that for long with it being an all-out duel between Furusato and Holgado.

LtoR: Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (33m 19.819s),David Alonso CFMOTO Aspar Team, Taiyo Furusato Honda Team Asia (33m 19.921s).

Alonso made the move for the win at the final corner, leading across the line with nothing separating the front group. Riccardo Rossi came across the line to take fourth position, just 0.186 separating the top four. Dutchman Veijer came across the line in fifth position, in what was an impressive performance by the Husqvarna rider.

Moto3 Race